Laurentian University

New Trilingual Signs at Laurentian Reflect the First Language of this Territory

English, French and Anishinaabemowin seen across campus

Aug. 26, 2019 -- Aanii. Anishinaabemowin speakers have given Laurentian University a new look over the summer, translating the new trilingual signs throughout campus. Starting this semester, all members of our community will be greeted by signs in English, French, and Anishinaabemowin, the language of the land upon which Laurentian is situated.

We wish to thank Dr. Mary Anne Corbiere for her hard work on this project, as well as for her efforts in keeping Anishinaabemowin strong over the past 25 years. As a faculty member in the Indigenous Studies program at the University of Sudbury, she continues to be a linchpin for revitalizing the language. We also wish to thank Dominic and Brenda Beaudry of Akinomaagewin Consulting, as well as Isadore Toulouse. Carole Perreault provided crucial logistics on the project. The speakers of Anishinaabemowin play key roles in ensuring that Anishinaabemowin thrives and remains vital. We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be adequately repaid.

Everyone in the Laurentian University community works to honour the Robinson-Huron Treaty, the 169-year-old agreement which lays out the relationship between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples of this land. Our institution is on Anishinaabe territory, particularly of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek. We also acknowledge Wahnapitae First Nation, on whose territory Sudbury partially sits. Our institution is proud to honour the treaty in word and action.

The change in signage is part of our Imagine 2023 Strategic Plan, which aims to make our university the school of choice for northern, francophone, and Indigenous students from across the world.

QUOTES
“With Laurentian University sitting on Atikameksheng Anishnawbek Territory, I am ecstatic to know that the history and language of the Anishinawbek people is being recognized throughout the university through trilingual signs.” — Valerie Richer, Chief of Atikameksheng Anishinawbek

“We are proud of our new signage. Our tricultural mandate is always top of mind, and appropriately representing this across our campus is an important step. Promoting engagement with and learning of Anishinaabemowin is a priority identified in our strategic plan and I look forward to our continuing support of this.” — Dr. Robert Haché, President and Vice-Chancellor of Laurentian University

“It is uplifting for our First Nation to see the Anishnaabemowin language recognized and used at Laurentian University. I have not only received positive comments from our members at Wahnapitae First Nation, but also from other First Nations as well.“ — Larry Roque, Chief of Wahnapitae First Nation

Laurentian University receives $250,000 from TPEI Foundation for scholarships supporting student exchanges

This unique partnership will enable Canadian students to study in China, and Chinese students to study in Canada

August 15, 2019 - Students at Laurentian University are all smiles as TPEI Accounting and Education Foundation has donated $250,000 in support of their education. This donation will fund scholarships for accounting students in China to study at Laurentian University as visiting students for 4 months. Similarly, the donation will also financially support Canadian students who choose to study the Globalized Accounting Professional Program at the Zhejiang University of Finance & Economics (ZUFE).

This marks the first time the TPEI foundation has made a donation towards a Canadian university. Its co-founders, Mr. Leung Kam Chi (Oliver) and Ms. Ko Fung Man (Barbara), had represented the Canadian Professional Accounting education program in China, and worked with Canadian universities for more than 20 years (TPEI Accounting and Education Foundation is the representative of CPA Canada in China). Oliver and Barbara view this donation as a way to give back. “We are fortunate to be in a position to fund these unique experiences for students at both Laurentian and ZUFE. We know that this will allow students to better understand accounting in a global sense and broaden their perspectives. This is a very special day for us.”

For Laurentian University, this donation falls squarely in line with goals set out in the 2018-2023 Strategic Plan. “Student success is our success. With these funds, we’re creating unique learning opportunities and experiences for students to study internationally. More than ever, our business students must think globally and this donation creates even more opportunities for them to do just that.” said Dr. Robert Haché, President and Vice-Chancellor of Laurentian University.

As a result of this investment, four Chinese students are already expected to arrive in Sudbury this September, with ten more arriving in January. The TPEI Foundation is a strong supporter of young scholars who are prepared to broaden their scope globally, and to obtain quality education in accounting and finance.

About TPEI Accounting and Education Foundation

TPEI Accounting and Education Foundation (TPEI Foundation) was established under the Canadian Federal statute in 2015.

Their mission: To prepare instructors to teach education materials with highly recognized global standards and shape young learners to become future leaders with high ethical standards.

Their vision: To serve as the bridge and support for providing quality education to train fully competent professionals in China and Canada.

Haykuykuy! Bienvenidos! Laurentian Welcomes Peruvian Researchers

International exchange focuses on environment, remediation

August 15, 2019 - Laurentian University is pleased to welcome distinguished colleagues from abroad this week, as we play host to a delegation from Peru. The six researchers and officials are visiting Robinson-Huron Treaty territory to participate in the week-long Building Environmental Strategies workshop. Our distinguished guests include Augusto Cauti, vice-minister of mines in Peru’s Ministry of Energy and Mines. The series of courses was specially crafted for the delegates by the Goodman School of Mines.

The main goal of the workshops is to help our guests build an environmental remediation plan for their respective regions. Much of the focus will be on sharing knowledge about Sudbury’s successful remediation efforts, and to show delegates how to replicate this collaborative work. Other elements of the courses include duty to consult, establishing environmental protection regulations, and monitoring water quality.

The visit is a return in kind, following our own delegation’s visit two four Peruvian states in May of this year organized by the CORE Foundation. To celebrate, the City of Sudbury has sponsored an Indigenous dinner Wednesday night, attended by Mayor Brian Bigger.

Whether we say biindigen, welcome, bienvenidos, bienvenue, or haykuykuy, we hope the delegates leave inspired and motivated for the important greening tasks ahead.

QUOTE

“Learning about Sudbury’s remediation story, our engagement with Indigenous communities, and our university’s role in supporting world-leading researchers is providing a strong basis for collaboration.” Dr Robert Haché, President and Vice-Chancellor of Laurentian University

Laurentian University approves tuition exemption for youth in extended society care (Crown Wards)

NOTE: As of September 2022, this program has been changed to a bursary. Click this link to have up to date information.

August 13, 2019 – Laurentian University is pleased to announce that youth in extended society care will once again be eligible to apply for a full tuition exemption for courses at Laurentian. This program will be open to current and former youth in the care of the children’s aid society, who are pursuing their first post-secondary degree. This tuition exemption program was initiated in 2012 and has been approved again for the upcoming academic year. This funding will be extended to support the equivalent of ten full-time students and is available to students studying full-time or part-time.

“These students, many of whom are Indigenous, face unique challenges in accessing post-secondary education,” said Dr. Serge Demers, Laurentian’s interim Vice-President, Academic and Provost. “It is important that we remove barriers and enable them to achieve their academic goals. We are proud to continue supporting this group of students and we will look towards fundraising within our community to expand the program’s reach in future years.”

This initiative was championed by Jane Kovarikova, a Laurentian University graduate and former youth-in-care. “Post-secondary credentials have made it possible for the few of us who were lucky to achieve our goals,” she said. “Most of us simply don’t have the same opportunities. I am very grateful that I had access to post-secondary via a pathway through my community college and then onward to university studies. I wish for all those raised in care to have the same opportunities.” Jane is the holder of multiple degrees, and is now a Ph.D. candidate.

Conditions

To be eligible for the tuition waiver, students must:

Have been in extended society care in Ontario for a minimum of one year.
Apply for non-repayable grant funding through full-time or part-time OSAP each academic year. Students are not required to apply for loan funding.
Have exhausted any other type of available government funding available.

The waiver is valued at the total amount of tuition fees, less any OSAP non-repayable grant funding and/or any other provincial funding for which the student may be eligible. In order to qualify for the waiver, students must self-identify through the OSAP application process and provide the supporting documentation indicated below. Priority will be given to first degree, first-time applicants.

For interested students, more information and application instructions are available within the Laurentian University website.

Laurentian University and Fleming College create unique pathway to master’s degree

July 25, 2019 – Fleming College graduates from the Environmental Visual Communication (EVC) program now have the option of completing a master’s degree at Laurentian University. It is the first pathway of its kind in postsecondary education in the province.

The institutions have signed an agreement allowing eligible graduates of Fleming’s EVC program to continue their education in the Master’s of Science Communication (M.S.Com) program at Laurentian. Fleming graduates will receive 21 credits for their EVC certificate and will complete 12 additional credits at Laurentian University to receive their master’s, which can be completed in three academic terms. To be eligible, students must have completed an undergraduate degree in addition to the Fleming certificate.

“This unique pathway to a master’s degree is ground-breaking for Fleming College and we are very pleased to offer this to our qualified EVC graduates,” said Brett Goodwin, Principal of Fleming’s Frost Campus and Dean of the School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences. “This pathway is extremely attractive to students and will offer a seamless option from an Ontario Graduate Certificate into a master’s program. The environmental sector is experiencing strong growth and the EVC program provides students with a unique and highly marketable portfolio of communication skills that will only be enhanced through this pathway into a Master’s of Science Communication.”

“In many career tracks in Science Communication, a master’s degree is often a requirement to qualify for more senior positions, and the MSCom program is attracting students who already have their EVC credentials,” said Dr. Chantal Barriault, Director of Master of Science Communication program at Laurentian University. “Laurentian is very pleased about this pathway agreement with Fleming College as it will increase the pool of potential applicants.”

Fleming’s EVC program runs in a compressed, intensive format and students are on-campus at the Royal Ontario Museum during their first and second semester. The program is designed to fill a recognized need for individuals who are passionate about environmental issues and storytelling, and who want to effectively engage people to foster change.

Laurentian’s Master’s of Science Communication program is Canada’s first and only comprehensive Master’s program in Science Communication. The program is delivered in partnership with Science North, which provides students an experiential learning opportunities for research and application of science communication principles. Recently recognized by the Royal Canadian Institute for Science, the program delivers a multidisciplinary experience that covers the theory underlying good communication, as well as the practical challenges of effectively communicating science and the issues involving science in society.

About Fleming College

Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 100 full-time programs in Arts and Heritage, Business, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, General Arts and Sciences, Health and Wellness, Justice and Community Development, Skilled Trades and Technology, and Continuing Education. Fleming College has more than 6,800 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and 71,000 alumni.

United Steelworkers commits $225,000 to occupational health and safety research at Laurentian University

Funds to support research relevant to Northern Ontario

JUNE 28, 2019 – Laurentian University interim President and Vice Chancellor, Dr. Pierre Zundel and United Steelworkers President (USW), Leo Gerard announced that the United Steelworkers are committing a total of $225,000 in research funding over the next three years to Laurentian University’s Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health (CROSH).

“It is important that USW support research that solves workplace problems and improves the safety of all workers, including those in Northern Ontario; we are proud of our continued support of CROSH’s efforts,” said Leo Gerard.

Over the last 8 years, the United Steelworkers have been key supporters in the development of CROSH; including previous commitments of $50,000 to obtain a Research Chair in Occupational Health and Safety, $50,000 in endowed scholarships for students, and $60,000 towards the operation of CROSH’s Mobile Laboratory, for a total investment of $385,000. The funds committed for the next three years will continue to support CROSH’s efforts to engage with northern workplaces, prioritizing their research needs as well as provide support to train students in-the-field.

Dr. Zundel stated that “CROSH’s efforts in the occupational health and safety field in the North have been ground breaking and would not be possible without the continued support of partners like the USW.”

As the only occupational health and safety research centre located in northern Ontario, CROSH envisions a team-approach to solving critical and relevant workplace challenges, by including workers, workplaces, communities, government and safe work associations in a field approach to research. Specifically CROSH emphasizes a field-to-lab-to-field approach where researchers engage face-to-face with communities and industries to understand critical workplace problems they are dealing with. CROSH researchers conduct field measures to understand the problem, develop evidenced-based solutions in the lab and then go back to the workplace to test the solutions in the field. CROSH has launched a Mobile research lab (M-CROSH) that allows students and researchers to travel to remote communities and provide on-site facilities while in the field. CROSH has also built a Workplace Simulator Lab that allows researchers to replicate workplace conditions in a controlled environment to test solutions.

“The funds announced today will strengthen CROSH’s ability to carry out research and reach evidenced based solutions that are relevant to communities and industries in the north; communities who have traditionally been unable to participate in research, due to their geographic isolation. USW’s past and continued support of CROSH has a significant impact on CROSH’s success, in particular, it has helped students develop the skills they need to be the future occupational safety and health leaders,” says CROSH Director, Sandra Dorman.

Board of Governors of Laurentian University appoint Claude F. Lacroix as incoming Chair for a two-year term

June 27, 2019 – The Board of Governors of Laurentian University voted on April 26, 2019 to appoint Claude F. Lacroix as incoming Chair for a two-year term, effective at the close of the annual general meeting of the Board on June 21, 2019, when the term of current Chair Jennifer Witty ends. Mr. Lacroix has been a Board member since 2006 and currently serves as Vice-Chair.

“We are fortunate to have a Board member with the experience and the vision that Claude brings to the role,” said Interim Laurentian University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Pierre Zundel. “Jennifer has been a superb Chair, guiding the Board through a remarkable period of growth and change, and we continue to benefit from her contributions as Past-Chair for the next year.”

Mr. Lacroix is an Alumnus, having earned his B.A. from Laurentian University in 1991. He graduated from the faculty of Law at L’Université de Moncton in 1996. Mr. Lacroix is partner at Lacroix Lawyers. He is fluently bilingual and practices in the areas of Civil Litigation, Corporate/Commercial, Construction Law, Wills, Estates and Trusts, and Real Estate.

Mr. Lacroix becomes the third member of his family to serve as Chair of the Board of Governors of Laurentian University, following his mother Maureen Lacroix (2001-04) and his Father André Lacroix (1978-81).

“It is an honour and a privilege to continue to serve the Board and Laurentian University. Laurentian is an incredible community asset and is critical to the growth and development of the North,” said Mr. Lacroix. “The University faces both challenges and opportunities in the years ahead, and in great part because of the work of our outgoing Chair, I know we are well positioned to keep driving success.”

Mr. Lacroix is an active member of several community boards, not-for-profit agencies and professional organizations. He is currently vice-chair of the Science North Board of Trustees. He is past president of both the Laurentian University Alumni Association and the Sudbury District Law Association; past executive member and director of the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation; past president of the Ontario French Speaking Trial Lawyers Association; and a past chair of the Sudbury Airport Community Development Corporation.

Jennifer Witty will serve as Past Chair of the Board for a term of one year.

Laurentian to present honorary doctorates to four outstanding Canadians

Celebrated artist, renowned francophone publisher and mining industry leaders to receive honorary doctorates from Laurentian University

May 31, 2019 – As part of its 2019 Spring Convocation ceremonies, Laurentian University will recognize and celebrate the remarkable careers and achievements of four outstanding Canadians: internationally-acclaimed artist Bernard Poulin, renowned francophone publisher Denise Truax, and mining leaders Ned Goodman and Terry MacGibbon.

“We’re very pleased to be welcoming these outstanding individuals into our alumni family,” said Interim President and Vice-Chancellor Pierre Zundel. “We marvel at their immense talents, but also at their willingness to share their knowledge, passion and resources with others to expand their horizons and help realize their full potential. We are extremely proud to be celebrating their generous spirits.”

“Each of these exceptional honorees have made tremendous contributions to the social, cultural and educational fabric of our region, and their influence extends across the country and around the world,” said Laurentian Chancellor Steve Paikin. “Their creativity, ingenuity and willingness to give back make them incredible examples for our students to follow.”

Bernard Poulin

Dr. Poulin is an artist of rare talent whose reputation for creating stunning works in a variety of mediums has garnered him international acclaim. He is recognized as one of Canada’s finest portraitists, and served as the president of the Canadian Institute of Portrait Artists from 2003-2005. His subjects have included royalty, religious leaders, and politicians, among others. He is also an accomplished sculptor, muralist, sought-after lecturer and prolific author. He has written 11 books and contributed to countless others, sharing his vast knowledge with aspiring and established artists around the world. Dr. Poulin’s work has been commissioned by private patrons, governments, organizations and corporations around the country, including the Canadian Pacific Railway, the National Research Council of Canada and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Denise Truax

Dr. Truax is a champion of francophone literature and one of the community’s most active advocates for the arts. She has served as the executive director of the Sudbury-based Prise de parole publishing house since 1988, which is the oldest French-language publisher outside of Quebec. Despite being small in size, Prise de parole has garnered international recognition for publishing hundreds of works by some of the country’s most acclaimed francophone authors, including a number of Governor General Award winners. Under her leadership, Prise de parole was twice a finalist for the Prime Minister’s Awards for Artistic Excellence, and a founding partner of the Place des Arts, Sudbury’s soon-to-be-built hub for francophone arts and culture.
In 2012, Dr. Truax received the Sudbury Community Builders Award of Excellence in the Arts category for the significant role she has played in distinguishing the city as one of the French literary capitals of Canada.

Terry MacGibbon

Dr. MacGibbon has been an important member of the Laurentian community and a driver of economic prosperity in the region and around the country. After retiring from Inco Ltd. (now Vale) with over 30 years of service, Dr. MacGibbon grew FNX Mining Company, then an obscure junior explorer, into a multi-billion dollar producer and one of the country’s greatest mining success stories. In 2010, Dr. MacGibbon helped orchestrate a $1 million donation from FNX’s successor, Quadra FNX Mining Ltd., to support Laurentian’s then unnamed school of mines. Dr. MacGibbon made a further impact at Laurentian by chairing the university’s $65 million The Next 50 Campaign from 2011-2013. The funds raised and connections made under his leadership continue to support a wide array of institutional priorities.

Dr. MacGibbon has served in leadership roles with a variety of mining companies, including Torex Gold Resources, INV Metals and TMAC Resources. He has been a strong advocate for more progressive approaches to mining, including creating more opportunities for women to enter the industry, particularly at the executive level. He is a member of the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame and has received many other prestigious awards over the course of his career.

Ned Goodman

Over his five-decade-long career, Dr. Goodman, Founder of Dundee Corporation, earned a reputation as one of Canada’s most astute and respected investment leaders. A trained geologist, Dr. Goodman successfully financed many of the country’s most successful junior mining companies whose operations created jobs for thousands of people in Northern Ontario and around the country. He and his family have made some of the most significant private philanthropic investments in Canadian history, including multi-million dollar gifts to support healthcare and education. In 2012, the Goodman Family made a transformational gift to support Laurentian’s excellence in mining related education, and created the Goodman School of Mines.

In recognition of his charitable endeavors and the many contributions he has made in strengthening the national economy, Dr. Goodman was named as a member of the Order of Canada in 2016. He was inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame in 2012, as well as the IIAC Investment Industry Hall of Fame in 2017.

Oldest reported fossil fungi: Laurentian researcher published in Nature

May 27, 2019 - Laurentian University’s Dr. Elizabeth Turner, professor of geology at the Harquail School of Earth Sciences, co-authored a paper published in the journal Nature this week.

Earth is 4.5 billion years old, but the ‘normal’ fossil record consisting of marine shells and bones spans only the last 10% of its history (the Phanerozoic); the record of complex life on land is even shorter. This ‘obvious’ fossil record, visible to the naked eye, consists of fairly readily understood organisms representing most types of life - but there must have been an earlier history during which much of the diversity of life emerged evolutionarily but left no obvious record. Life in the first 90% of Earth history (the Precambrian) is commonly assumed to have been almost exclusively bacterial (prokaryotes), yet organisms that are more complex at a cellular level (eukaryotes) must have emerged sometime in the Precambrian. Investigating this early time of ‘hidden’ evolution is a challenging, hot topic in geological and paleobiological research.

Specimens of a microscopic fossilised fungus named Ourasphaira giraldae were extracted from one-billion-year-old (1 Ga) shale of the Grassy Bay Formation in Northwest Territories, Canada, pushing back the date for the oldest known unambiguous fungus in the fossil record by more than half a billion years. The fossils have numerous physical characteristics typical of fungi, resembling modern fungal hyphae and spores.

Fungi are critical components of modern ecosystems because of their role in biological cycles: they decompose organic matter and make its energy and nutrients available to be reused. In deep time, they may have played an important role in the colonisation of land, contributing to the eventual success of land plants. Despite their importance, fungi have a very sparse fossil record owing to poor preservability.

The existence of fungi a billion years ago has profound implications.

The microfossil assemblage containing the fungus (described in earlier publications by the same researchers) implies the existence, a billion years ago, of a complex ecosystem containing diverse, microscopic eukaryotes that occupied most roles in a modern-type food web – photosynthesising, consuming photosynthesisers, degrading organic matter (fungus), and even predation of one eukaryote upon another. Earth’s biota therefore included diverse, complex organisms much earlier than previously assumed.
Fungus and animals are known to be genetically related (forming a group called ‘opisthokonts’) and share a common ancestor. The presence of fungus 1 billion years ago indicates that the divergence of the fungal and animal lineages must have taken place before that. Some form of proto-animal must have existed already by 1 Ga, long before the earliest known fossil evidence of animals (650 million years), and well before the advent of readily identifiable animal fossils (Phanerozoic).
The Grassy Bay Formation preserves sediment that was deposited in an estuary, a type of Earth-surface environment where land and ocean meet. It is possible that the fossil fungus was derived from land rather than living in a marine environment, which could suggest the presence of some type of simple ecosystem on land as early as 1 billion years ago.

2018-2019 Research Excellence Award awarded to Dr. Amadeo M. Parissenti

Dr. Parissenti is recognized by Laurentian University for research in cancer treatments

Wednesday, March 27, 2019 – Laurentian University is pleased to announce that Dr. Amadeo M. Parissenti has been awarded the 2018–2019 Research Excellence Award. Dr. Parissenti was nominated by Dr. Osman Abou-Rabia, Dean of the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Architecture at Laurentian University, for his outstanding research in monitoring tumour response to chemotherapy and its potential to help patients. He received the award during Laurentian University’s Research Week Awards Gala held last Friday.

Dr. Parissenti’s research focuses on cancer treatments, including factors that promote or block the efficacy of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. He and his associated company, Rna Diagnostics, Inc., are currently involved in an international clinical trial examining the ability of their proprietary chemoresponse assay to predict early in treatment complete tumour destruction and improved survival for patients with breast cancer, with the goal to help healthcare providers offer the most effective treatments with minimal side effects.

“Dr. Amadeo Parissenti has attained an exceptional level of research excellence,” said Dr. Rizwan Haq, Interim Vice-President of Research at Laurentian University. “His work in cancer treatment has the potential to help not only reduce harmful and ineffective treatments, but also improve the quality of life, and increase survival rates in cancer patients.”

Dr. Parissenti is a tenured Full Professor with the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Laurentian University, a tenured Full Professor with the Division of Medical Sciences at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM), a Principal Investigator at the Health Sciences North Research Institute (HSNRI), and Chief Scientific Officer at RNA Diagnostics, Inc.

“I am honoured to receive the 2018–2019 Research Excellence Award and am grateful to my colleagues for this recognition,” said Dr. Amadeo M. Parissenti. “I also wish to thank Laurentian University and its Office of Research Services for guiding me in the patenting and commercialization of our chemoresponse assay and providing a stimulating environment for innovative research.”

Dr. Parissenti has an impressive publication record, including six co-authored book chapters and fifty-five peer-reviewed articles. He holds several patents, some of which were granted in many jurisdictions, and has received a number of awards, including the Best Intellectual Property Award from The IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE) as part of the Quest Business Competition in Toronto.

ABOUT LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY

Laurentian University is located on the territory of the Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850, and recognizes its placement on the traditional lands of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and Wahnapitae First Nations. Laurentian is committed to strengthening the foundation of knowledge in higher education and research to offer an outstanding university experience in English and French with a comprehensive approach to Indigenous education. Together with its federated partners, Laurentian University prepares leaders who bring innovative and intelligent solutions to local and global issues.

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