Student Ashwini Bhat doesn't hesitate when asked why she chose to study mathematics.

"It's what I'm good at...I love it."

Now in her second year of graduate studies, Bhat has thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to delve deep into her research while surrounded by like-minded peers who share her passion and dedication for the subject.

Also within her department's cozy community is a devoted and enthusiastic faculty which invests considerable time and energy into preparing the math minds of tomorrow. Bhat had the additional luxury of being her supervisor's only student, which allowed her to frequently discuss and consult with him.

Her research is in the realm of commutative algebra. Through studying the Alexander dual of path ideals of trees, she proved a theorem that provides a lower bound on the index of stability when the corresponding graph is a star. She conjectured this bound after conducting several computer experiments.

Bhat has enjoyed the challenges in her line of research and the opportunities it affords to "think outside the box". "My first calculus professor really stressed how this discipline introduces a whole new way of thinking and looking at the world," she recalls.

Additionally, she's discovered that algebra has some pretty neat applications. Bhat explains how graph theory has been successfully applied to represent relationships on social networking sites. As well, her supervisor has taken an interest in the "coloring problem", through which a professor and his student applied their knowledge of algebra to schedule national baseball games more efficiently by cutting costs and time. After their results were released, they were promptly hired by the league.

Aside from her research interests, Bhat has kept herself busy attending the weekly algebra meetings hosted by her department, working as a teaching assistant, and traveling to several Canadian Mathematical Society Meetings. Now waiting to hear back from the PhD programs to which she recently applied, Bhat reflects, "I really don't know where the time went."

Dr. Margaret Johnston studies tourism at the ends of the Earth.

While her broader focus of study concerns the interactions between people and their environment through recreation and tourism, she's currently involved in a large research project that is measuring the changes in Arctic Canada tourism, the factors that are causing them including climate change and globalization, and how individuals are responding to the resulting problems or opportunities.

Through this project and several other research initiatives, Dr. Johnston has travelled to many parts of the circumpolar world and established partnerships in Norway, Greenland, the Canadian North and the Antarctic. These connections have facilitated her continued research in these areas and also allowed her to take senior students on field trips to Arctic Scandinavia and the Antarctic.

She adds that it's a rewarding experience to hear from the number of her former students who have continued on to pursue exciting projects and careers in the polar regions. One of her students is currently living in Whitehorse and working for the Yukon government on programs and interpretation related to wildlife viewing. Another graduate opted to work instead in Australia and is currently active in the field of outdoor leadership.

Dr. Johnston is proud to say that students in the MES in nature-based recreation and tourism overall have been highly successful. She explains how the program provides an excellent venue through which students can develop their understanding of people's behaviour in recreation and tourism and the impacts of policy and planning.

Applying this knowledge through their research, a number have received generous scholarships and support from organizational partners such as Parks Canada and various businesses. As such, many students are provided with the means to produce thesis research that contributes to existing literature while playing a prominent role in management decisions.

"Their work has been significant to research partners and has been used to make real change."

Dr. Ruizhong Wei keeps our computers safe.

Specializing in cryptography and network and computer security, Dr. Wei applies his extensive knowledge of computer science to safeguard the confidentiality and integrity of computer systems, resources, and data.

One way he does this is by using combinatorial methods to resolve security problems, including quasigroups, mutually orthogonal Latin squares, BIBDs, GDDs, orthogonal and perpendicular arrays, and perfect hash families. Dr. Wei also works with double self-dual codes, broadcast encryption, traceability schemes, frameproof codes, and secret sharing schemes. In one of his ongoing projects, he and a colleague have proposed a new encryption algorithm known as KIST, which is highly efficient in its use of space and time.

Dr. Wei emphasizes the need for security technology, particularly in the IT industry, as the peak of the Technological Age sees a steeply rising number and variety of virtual threats. In order to successfully defend computers against viruses, worms, malicious codes, and other attacks, Dr. Wei and his fellow security experts must always remain two steps ahead of the opposition.

Additionally, computer security is pertinent to the confidentiality and everyday functions of personal computer users and also businesses, as the integrity of company secrets and operations hangs in the balance. It is even a matter of national security; now at the foundation of defense operations and economic functions, computers that lack sufficient security may pose a severe threat to financial institutions or disrupt important communication processes.

An area that will only continue to demand highly skilled experts, Dr. Wei has supervised several students in his field. Completed projects have addressed such topics as security protocols, security algorithms, context-sensitive neural network application, role-based access control, database anonymization, wireless sensor network security, and local-based applications.

What with most of his former students now applying their skill set in the IT industry, Dr. Wei explains that students are well-prepared throughout their graduate education to enter the workforce, particularly through the co-op option. Dr. Wei adds, "This is especially important for an international student who has no experience working in Canada."

It's a good thing Dr. Ron Harpelle is fluent in three languages and familiar with many cultures.

Specializing in the history of international development with a keen interest in Latin American and Caribbean history, this Lakehead professor has travelled extensively for his research and lived abroad for extended periods of time.

Through his academic endeavours, Dr. Harpelle has explored such issues as immigration, human rights, racism, labour, and the post-colonial world. Related to these themes, he's also undertaken a number of international projects; on his travels, Dr. Harpelle has met with people ranging from community members in Embalam, India to discuss the impact of a computer-based knowledge centre to senior government officials in several countries. He has also been interviewed by Radio Canada International on IDRC's role in Chile's transition to democracy and his research has been featured in several publications. He is currently comparing the shifting economies of resource dependent communities in Canada, Finland and Uruguay and actively participates in the Lakehead University based Resources and Sustainable Development in the Arctic (ReSDA) network.

Dr. Harpelle is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker and has used his talents to bring several important issues to life. He specializes in historical documentaries and, among other themes, his films have examined the struggles of banana plantation workers in Honduras, eating disorders among young women, radical politics in Canada, and the evolution of barbed wire, used by some to merely mark a periphery and others to enforce complete control over human movement. Dr. Harpelle's most recent film is about a man who spent 29 years in solitary confinement for a crime he did not commit.

Dr. Harpelle's students often have an opportunity to join him on these international exploits, assist with his research, and collaborate on projects that address current global issues. As well, students benefit from the wealth of research materials that he has collected over the years, which allow them to conduct innovative research on a variety topics that are "distant in time and place".

Dr. Harpelle adds that students also have an opportunity to engage in research at the local level. "These initiatives can be rewarding and relevant and are relatively unknown, therefore waiting to be discovered."

Brenda Magajna is highly educated. She has a teaching degree, a bachelor's in math, a year in urban studies, and credentials in urban geography. But she always really wanted to study biology. At Lakehead, she's been able to pursue this dream...all the way up to the doctoral level.

A PhD candidate in biotechnology with a passion for molecular science, Magajna opted to research the survival strategies of the leading cause of food poisoning in Canada and the developing world: Campylobacter jejuni.

Magajna explains that a great enigma pertaining to this particular micro-villain is that while it's terribly difficult to grow, it can prove quite resilient in the right conditions - which happen to be in your refrigerator.

In fact, Magajna has discovered that C. jejuni can survive for up to 70 days in a fridge... without food. She's currently observing its progression and trying to determine what is prompting its persistence.

Magajna particularly enjoys the hands-on element of her program, especially as Lakehead science students are granted regular access to lab facilities and equipment.

"There's a lot of equipment students are privy to here that they wouldn't be allowed to touch at larger universities." And this access has facilitated some pretty impressive research.

Magajna was 1 of 12 students across the country selected to present at the Canadian Society for Microbiology Conference in Montreal. She also had the opportunity to attend the 16th International Workshop on Campylobacter, Helicobacter, and Related Organisms in Vancouver. Magajna appreciated these opportunities to network and learn from others and relished the chance to hear lectures by "famous elderly scholars", finding their achievements and drive to be highly motivating.

What's next after she adds a Dr. to her name?

"I wish my PhD would never end, I get to do it all here: lab work, reading, research, I love it."

More than content with her lifestyle at present, she hopes to continue to research in an academic setting, perhaps as a professor, which would be her "dream job".

"I enjoy teaching and I'd be able to do my research forever. It would be a complete win-win."

Dr. Phil Fralick studies early life - up to 3 billion years old.

"Billions of years ago, the Earth was a very different place," remarks the Lakehead geology professor. "The most advanced life forms were bacteria." To study these modest beginnings, Dr. Fralick searches for ancient evidence preserved in rocks and attempts to tackle 'the really big questions', such as how the modern earth came to be and life's role in its shaping.

His extraordinarily broad and challenging line of research isn't even confined to our planet; Dr. Fralick has also studied Mars, searching for impact-related layers and signs of early life. His intrigue with the red planet was first motivated when he was able to provide NASA with evidence pertaining to the cause of a deposit. "Some suggested the layers on Mars were caused by meteorites, but I was able to show how similar layers had come to form on Earth without meteorite impact."

Before coming to Lakehead, Dr. Fralick worked for several years in industry. While periodically taking on contract work from various companies and the government (he's currently helping the province to examine arsenic contamination in lake systems), he is primarily interested in tackling large-scale problems with global implications: "I worked for several years, making lots of money in the field. I became a professor to pursue my own projects, projects which I believe to be globally significant."

That's not to say he doesn't teach employable skills; Dr. Fralick's students are provided with the knowledge and preparation they require to be competent in industry - and certainly don't have trouble finding a job after they graduate. Meanwhile, they also have the opportunity to pursue some neat and novel projects: one student recently looked at ancient glacial deposits dating back 2400 million years old. Another will soon be observing limestone deposits that are almost 3 billion years old, perhaps one of the first places in the world to host oxygen.

Why pursue graduate studies in geology at Lakehead? In addition to a rock solid curriculum and exciting research opportunities, Dr. Fralick exclaims that it's incredibly convenient to live where your work is: "I can wake up in the morning, take a few steps, maybe drive a little, and I'm in the field."

Ask Dr. Gautam Das what you can't accomplish with lasers.

A physics professor at Lakehead University, Dr. Das has made exceptional gains in the development and enhancement of fibre laser technology. These remarkable lasers, made of optical fibres doped with rare-earth elements, have numerous uses and offer an increased output power, optical quality, and reliability within a cost-effective and compact package.

Under the umbrella of fibre optic technology, Dr. Das finds himself engaged in several lines of research. He is currently working on high-power lasers, which are popularly employed by industry to cut steel and other materials, as well as in medical imaging and surgery.

He is also applying laser absorption spectroscopy to detect and quantify trace gases such as nitrous oxide, which is produced by the application of fertilizers in agricultural fields. Dr. Das explains how more and more fertilizer will be used in the future to meet the growing global demand for food, causing the atmosphere's nitrous oxide to increase. He hopes that his technology will assist the worldwide 4R program (Right fertilizer source, Right rate, Right time and Right replacement) in nutrient stewardship management, to minimize future environmental impacts. In addition, Dr. Das intends to use a similar technique to develop a diagnostic "breathalyzer", capable of detecting VOCs (volatile organic compounds) which serve as biomarkers for ailments such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.

And on top of that, the physicist is busy investigating interactions between gold nano rods and laser light using "Raman spectroscopy" methods, the knowledge from which could be used to identify specific proteins in the human body.

His students are similarly occupied exploring the applications of fibre optics and lasers and have the opportunity to work extensively with the highly advanced technology in their supervisor's laboratory. Dr. Das feels that the heavy hands-on component offered through the Lakehead physics graduate program aptly prepares students for exciting careers in research and innovation. "Physics is a fundamental science which is critical to modern innovations and makes all kinds of discoveries possible... There is a definite need for researchers with a physics background in the world today."

Dr. Mary Lou Kelley dedicates herself to research of the most difficult kind. A professor of social work and gerontology, she is committed to developing superior care and comfort for persons who are dying. Specializing in palliative and end-of-life care, Dr. Kelley is particularly focused on improving quality of life for senior citizens living in long-term care homes and rural areas.

Her research efforts couldn't be more ideally timed; as Canada's aging population continues to skyrocket, there is an increasing demand to provide for their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. This predicament is only complicated by the limited resources in care homes and the shortage of local services in rural communities.

Dr. Kelley passionately involves herself in a high number of research and community initiatives to further progress in her field. As the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association remarked, "Dr. Kelley's passionate contribution to quality end-of-life care, be it advocacy or knowledge translation, is making a difference at the bedside of dying Canadians."

Currently, she sits as Chair of the Ontario Interdisciplinary Council on Aging and Health, is the Director of the Centre for Education and Research in Aging and Health, and works as a research affiliate with Lakehead University's Centre for Northern and Rural Health Research. She is also the principal investigator of several ongoing projects, which explore such topics as improving end-of-life care in First Nations Communities, access to culturally sensitive health care programs, and care options for those on long-term institutional care waitlists. Working with multiple affiliations including the Canadian Partnership against Cancer, CIHR, the Ontario Mental Health Foundation, and the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, she continues to spearhead advances in palliative and end-of-life care with powerful results.

Meanwhile, Dr. Kelley also heavily commits herself to her students, the next generation of researchers to lead this critical field. Her teaching philosophy? Mission, Mentor, and Model: "That is, instill the student with a mission for learning or support their existing mission, mentor them, and model how research is conducted and real problems are solved."

Finance professor Dr. Nikola Gradojevic trains his students to go global. Recognizing the unparalleled value of the global market, he largely teaches his courses from an international perspective.

"There exist a growing number of multinational companies who need people that have international exposure. These people should be multilingual and have experience with different cultures, accounting procedures, and legislative frameworks." Dr. Gradojevic strives to ensure that working for such companies remains a viable option for Lakehead business graduates.

To further this aim, he also encourages students to take part in international opportunities and programs. Originally from Serbia, he recalls going on exchange to England during post-secondary studies: "It meant the world to me. Through furthering your studies in another country, you learn so much about not only business, but life."

Dr. Gradojevic himself has experienced a high degree of international exposure. Throughout his career, he's worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and The Bank of Canada, held visiting appointments at France's Rouen Business School and the University of Novi Sad, and served as a Research Fellow for Italy's Rimini Center for Economic Analysis. As well, his academic contributions to business have been recognized around the world, featured in such journals as Quantitative Finance, the Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks, IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, Physica D, and the Journal of Empirical Finance.

Currently, Dr. Gradojevic is tackling three major projects, one of which is gauging the behaviour of market participants in order to predict market crashes. He's also working with options financial contracts and examining market microstructure, particularly in regards to how institutions and information contrast with macroeconomic fundamentals.

Reflecting upon his department's intensely student-centred environment, Dr. Gradojevic outlines how both MBA and MSc programs provide extensive research opportunities with highly devoted supervisors. He fervently encourages aspiring business graduate students, both local and international, to consider Lakehead as their place of study:

"We offer quality at a competitive price. We provide small classes and instruction by caring faculty."

What is a kettlebell?

Corey Wesley describes it as a "cannon ball with a handle", a highly powerful training tool which simultaneously develops strength and cardiovascular fitness, providing twice the results in half the time.

Wesley has long been an aspiring kettlebell athlete and established trainer. He discovered the sport while training as a sprinter for the North American Indigenous Games and was hooked after just a few workouts: "I felt invincible; like no one could beat me." He went on to win 5 medals at the competition.

This experience sparked a life-long passion and Wesley currently instructs 10 kettlebell and boot camp classes during the summer months... and trains on the side.

"I enjoy teaching but I prefer to train alone. For me it's very spiritual."

Wesley also operates his own website dedicated the sport, which receives 250-400 hits a day. He continues to be contacted by many instructors and asked to review their training DVDs.

The kettlebell is by no means a new fitness innovation; in fact, it's been used by athletes in Russia since the 1700s. But the sport has enjoyed recent peak in popularity with fitness instructors raving about its effectiveness and efficiency. However, scientific evidence to back these claims is lacking.

Through his thesis, Wesley hopes to fill this void by carrying out a "maximum kettlebell stress test" and measuring the metabolic response. His supervisor is extremely excited about the project as it's largely charting new territory. "In terms of empirical data, there's nothing out there right now."

For Wesley, a major draw to Lakehead's kinesiology program was having the freedom to research his passion and essentially being asked what he wanted to study. After graduation, he hopes to continue with the kettlebell well into the future and aspires to eventually open his own training business. With his recent RKC certification, which he describes as a "master's in kettlebell", Wesley desires to offer high-calibre fitness training and is also interested in providing diabetes rehabilitation services. Through these undertakings, he endeavours to promote fitness for life:

"I recognize exercise to be essential to maintenance and longevity... Rather than exercising for superficial reasons, fitness should be a lifelong pursuit; it's about preventing disease, staying as young as you can, and essentially functioning at your best."