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Laurentian University celebrates sixth consecutive Giving Tuesday

Laurentian University celebrates sixth consecutive Giving Tuesday

University committed to supporting students facing hardships during the pandemic

(Dec. 1, 2020) December 1, 2020 will mark the sixth consecutive year that Laurentian University participates in Giving Tuesday. This global event is a day of giving that happens each year after Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It is a time when Canadians, charities and businesses come together to celebrate giving and participate in activities that support charities and nonprofits.

This year has been like no other. These are difficult times, and we are dealing with unprecedented working and living conditions. With our strategic plan #Imagine2023 in mind, this year's Giving Tuesday Campaign will focus on raising funds for Laurentian University students facing the many hardships during this Global Pandemic.
 
The Student Emergency Support Fund

The Student Emergency Support Fund was established by Laurentian University shortly after the COVID-19 emergency was declared on Tuesday, March 10th, 2020. TD has generously partnered with us this year and has provided $15,000 in matching funds. Community members interested in contributing will be able to double their impact by donating through laurentian.ca/give/make-an-impact 

The goal of the fund is to provide financial assistance to students with:

  • Food purchases and other costs for financially disadvantaged students; 
  • Addressing housing challenges for students who are self-isolating to protect their loved ones in remote, rural and Indigenous communities, or who are stranded far from home and loved ones due to border closures;
  • Securing an internet connection at home, for those who may have just been using the internet on campus previously; 
  • Income loss due to a business closure or lay-off;
  • Other financial hardships that may have presented themselves due to the COVID-19 measures implemented by Laurentian University, and all levels of government.
     

LU Researcher Plays Critical Role in Developing Picture of Earth's Early Days

LU Researcher Plays Critical Role in Developing Picture of Earth's Early Days

Prof. Alesandro Ielpi and colleagues use zircon to unlock secret to the emergence of continents

(November 30. 2020) Laurentian University's Alessandro Ielpi celebrates a career milestone as his work is featured in a prestigious publication in his field. The assistant professor of sedimentology in the Harquail School of Earth Sciences has travelled far and wide in order to uncover valuable insights about our planet. This week, the renowned journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters shares some of his most significant findings.

The paper, co-authored by Jesse Reimink at Pennsylvania State University, Joshua Davies at Université du Québec à Montréal and Alessandro Ielpi at Laurentian University, gives us an idea how continents first formed billions of years ago. Though there has long been consensus about the early formation of continents, the exact shapes, locations, and ages of those first pieces of dry land have long been under dispute. The trio's work brings us a step closer to pinpointing where and when this process began, thanks to their research on zircon. Taking advantage of the mineral's resilience over the years proved to be the key to this work; zircon is so resilient that it has been described as a sort of time capsule. Zircon forms in magmas that, once solidified, can be eroded by the elements. Zircon grains are then transported away and incorporated in sediments across the world. By dating the zircon in such sediments, researchers can reconstruct the size and distribution of previous rocks in a watershed.

At one time, Earth could more accurately have been called a waterworld, given that it was one globe-spanning body of water with little to no landmasses emerging above it. By about 3 billion years ago, rock formations began poking through the water as the first continents gained relief. Eventually, by about two and half billion years ago, the authors infer that continents similar in size to modern ones had been established. To reach this conclusion, the authors have analysed a global database of published ages for a mineral called zircon, and have developed a working theory of how dry ground came to be on this world.

We congratulate Drs. Ielpi, Reimink, and Davies on their work, a testament to their strengths as individual researchers as well as a testament to inter-institutional cooperation even amid the current pandemic.

QUOTE
"The collaborative work with Drs. Reimink and Davies is one of the most exciting aspects of my current research. It is great to see how the study of surface processes on early Earth can be integrated with statistical analyses of large, independent datasets. To understand the emergence of modern-style continents in the planet's past is indeed a key goal in geology". Alessandro Ielpi,  Assistant Professor of Sedimentology in the Harquail School of Earth Sciences of Laurentian University

"This discovery by Dr. lelpi and collaborators is truly remarkable and demonstrates the power of curiosity, and ingenuity when passionate researchers with experiences from around the world come together to solve problems." Tammy Eger, Vice-President of Research, Laurentian University
 

Laurentian University Professor Awarded NSERC funding to advance science communication training

Laurentian University Professor Awarded NSERC funding to advance science communication training

Dr. Chantal Barriault to provide science communication training to Northern Ontario STEM faculty and researchers

(November 23, 2020) Laurentian University is pleased to congratulate Dr. Chantal Barriault, who received $20,000 from the Federal Government in Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). This grant is intended to help skilled communicators share their knowledge with  faculty, researchers, and graduate students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), to improve their skills to effectively communicate their work with public audiences. 

The Science Communication Skills pilot grant was awarded to Dr. Barriault along with 20 other chosen recipients out of more than a hundred applicants across the country. The grant will aid the Northern Ontario STEM community in contributing to science literacy and counteract science-related misinformation.

As supported by the grant, Laurentian University will deliver, in partnership with Science North, essential training in science communication through virtual and in-person interactive workshops. Fundinging will be allocated to creating a model for science communication training that can be scaled up and delivered beyond Northern Ontario, in both English and French. Dr. Barriault hopes to demonstrate proof of concept through this pilot project to secure further funding in the future. Click here to read Dr. Barriault’s proposal.

QUOTE
“This award demonstrates that Laurentian delivers a world-leading graduate program in science communication and that we are trusted to empower researchers and science faculty all over Northern Ontario to communicate their work effectively.” Dr. Chantal Barriault - Director, Science Communication Graduate Program
 

Laurentian University added to Immigration Canada's Designated Learning Institution List

Laurentian University added to Immigration Canada's Designated Learning Institution List

Laurentian University added to Immigration Canada's Designated Learning Institution List

(November 18, 2020) Laurentian University is proud to announce that it has been added to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's Designated Learning Institution List. The list names all Canadian colleges and universities with federally approved COVID-19 readiness plans. This paves the way for the arrival of international students to Laurentian.

This announcement follows weeks of productive discussions with our partners at the provincial and federal levels of government, and would not have been possible without the combined efforts of many departments within the university to keep our community safe. 

Laurentian University's International Student Services and Residence teams continue to support international students with their arrival and quarantine plans. Currently, Laurentian welcomes 602 international students from 75 countries, studying remotely from their home countries or in Canada.

LU researcher gets federal grant to amp up the fight against the coronavirus

LU researcher gets federal grant to amp up the fight against the coronavirus

Stefan Siemann, professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, gets $200,000 from the CFI for a key piece of equipment

(November 13, 2020) Laurentian University is excited to announce that one of our researchers will get a  boost from the federal government in his effort to fight the coronavirus. 

Stefan Siemann, a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, is already deeply entrenched in efforts to tame the virus; he is part of a global network of experts using 3-D imaging technology to find potential weaknesses in the cell structure of SARS-Cov-2, the virus responsible for the current pandemic. This week, the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) announced that Dr. Siemann will receive $200,000 for two pieces of equipment which will bring his efforts to the next level. 

The equipment, a fluorometer and a microplate reader system, will prove essential to helping Dr. Siemann and his team investigate an enzyme called Mpro. Vital in the replication of the virus, the researchers' end game is to find a compound that will block Mpro from replicating more cells of SARS-Cov-2. This will, in theory, halt or diminish the spread of the virus. 

This grant is one of 79 projects being funded through the CFI's Exceptional Opportunities Fund. Announced recently, the funding includes $28 million for similar projects at 52 institutions across Canada, as part of the federal government's larger commitment to bring the devastating effects of the pandemic to heel. 
 
QUOTE
"The research infrastructure funding announced by the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry could not have come at a better time for scientists in Canada including Laurentian’s Dr. Stefan Siemann.  We are incredibly proud of Dr. Siemann and his research collaborators who are using advanced scientific tools and novel methods in the fight against COVID-19." Tammy Eger, Vice-President, Research, Laurentian University

LU Announces New Bursary For Youth in Extended Society Care

LU Announces New Bursary For Youth in Extended Society Care

Desiderata Entrance Bursary funded by donor who aims to pay it forward'

(November 5, 2020) Laurentian University is proud to announce the creation of the Desiderata Entrance Bursary, thanks to a donation by Catherine Gravely. The bursary, worth a total of $120,000, will be granted annually to three Laurentian students who have spent time in society care as youths in Ontario. This is a first in the province, and builds on the university's announcement last year of waiving tuition for Ontario students who spent time in care.

The name of the award is a tribute to the poem Desiderata by Max Ehrmann, which gave strength and comfort to Catherine. "Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself," the poem says. "You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here."

The bursaries will defray costs for books and living expenses for students primarily entering the first year of any program. In selecting the recipients of the bursaries, priority will be given to first year students entering Laurentian University who fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Valued at $10,000 per year, this award is renewable for four years.

QUOTES
"I am delighted that you have already been able to increase the funding and am happy to do more. My goal was to send a message to youth or former youth coming from care that there are people who ‘have their back’, even if they don’t know them at all. There is an unseen cheering section that wants these youth to succeed, and I am only one of those. Life is partially hard work, but much of it is also “luck” - both good and bad. I would like to be the creator of some good fortune for those who have experienced undeserved bad fortune - in part ‘to right the scales’, and in part to demonstrate that more unexpected good things will come for them, and that there will be times ahead when life will be much brighter." Catherine Gravely, donor

"What a wonderful opportunity to help our students build their futures thanks to the support of such a generous heart. This bursary will serve as a reminder during their studies that a giving spirit is an important quality. It helps promote the construction of a more unified world." Marie-Josée Berger, Provost and Vice-President, Academic, Laurentian University

LU launches new app to increase campus safety

LU launches new app to increase campus safety

SecurLU-UL gives users access to a suite of handy tools to streamline safety-related communications

(November 4, 2020) Laurentian University is proud to announce the launch of SecurLU-UL, the official safety app for our community. It is the only app that integrates with Laurentian University's safety and security systems.

Our Campus Safety team has worked to develop a unique app that provides students, faculty and staff with added safety on the Laurentian University campus. The app will send you important safety alerts and provide instant access to campus safety resources.

SecurLU-UL features include:

  • Emergency Contacts: Contact the correct services for the Laurentian University area in case of an emergency or a non-emergency concern
  • Mobile Bluelight: Send your location to Laurentian University security in real-time in case of a crisis
  • WorkAlone: Use the app to "check in" with you periodically while working alone or during late hours. If you don't respond, the app will alert Campus Security.
  • Friend Walk: Send your location to a friend through email or SMS on your device. Once the friend accepts the Friend Walk request, the user picks their destination and their friend tracks their location in real time; they can keep an eye on them to make sure they make it safely to their destination.
  • Emergency Plans: Campus emergency documentation that can prepare you for disasters or emergencies. This can be accessed even when users aren’t connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data.
  • Virtual WalkHome: Allow Campus Security to monitor a user’s walk. If a user feels unsafe when walking on campus, they can request a Virtual WalkHome and a dispatcher on the other end will monitor their journey until they reach their destination.
  • Safety Toolbox: Enhance your safety with the set of tools provided in one convenient app.
  • Support Resources: Access support resources in one convenient app to enjoy a successful experience at Laurentian University

LU appoints three new members to its Board of Governors

LU appoints three new members to its Board of Governors

Martin Gran, Karen Restoule, and Natalie Turvey join Board

(October 29, 2020) A dynamic trio of community members have been added to Laurentian University’s Board of Governors. The three new board members represent a variety of experiences, cultural backgrounds, further holding significant leadership roles  in our communities. 

“Our Board members play a critical role in guiding the University and these three new members have key qualities that will have a positive impact as we move forward. Laurentian will benefit from their experiences and leadership for many years to come. We are very fortunate to benefit from their insights and commitment to community.” Robert Haché - President and Vice-Chancellor, Laurentian University

“We could not be more pleased to welcome Martin, Natalie, and Karen to the Board. They come to us with an impressive depth of experience and exemplify a commitment to public service and volunteerism that will absolutely compliment our existing slate of engaged and dedicated Board members.  We are very much looking forward to working with each of them and extend a heartfelt welcome to the Laurentian community.” Claude F. Lacroix - Chair of the Board of Governors, Laurentian University

Martin Gran 
A hard-working self-starter, Martin Gran started as a student with Pioneer Construction and took on a variety of roles throughout his career, eventually ascending to one of the organization’s most senior roles as Chief Financial Officer, not only for Pioneer Construction but also for Fisher Wavy and the group’s equity arm, Silver Peak Capital. He has also served on the Board of Directors at the Ontario Road Builders Association (ORBA) from 2002 to 2018 and took on the role of President of the Board in 2008, the youngest to do so in the organization’s more than 90 year history.

Gran is a graduate of Laurentian University (Master of Business Administration, 1995) as well as Western University (Economics, 1991), and he also holds a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) designation. He lives in Greater Sudbury along with his wife and three children. 

Karen Restoule 
Currently, Karen Restoule serves as the Alternate Executive Chair of Tribunals Ontario where she has been leading the delivery of administrative justice across Ontario. Previously, she worked with Indigenous leadership to advance policy in her role as Director of the Justice Sector at the Chiefs of Ontario. Karen is also the co-founder of BOLD Realities, a non-profit organization that convenes discussions and develops tools to strengthen relationships between industry and Indigenous leadership.

Restoule is a graduate of the University of Toronto and the University of Ottawa’s French Common Law Program, where she was inducted into the Faculty of Law’s Honour Society in 2014 for using her legal education as a foundation for making a significant contribution to society. In 2018, she was named Public Policy Forum’s 2018 Prime Ministers of Canada Fellow. 

Karen is a member of Dokis First Nation and a beneficiary of the Robinson-Huron Treaty 1850.

Natalie Turvey 
A world traveler and pioneer, Natalie Turvey is a passionate advocate of journalistic ethics. The current President and Executive Director of The Canadian Journalism Foundation, a Toronto-based not-for-profit which supports and celebrates excellence in journalism through education, fellowships, research and one of the industry's most prestigious awards programs. 

Under Turvey’s leadership, the CJF co-developed a national news literacy curriculum that teaches students to cultivate habits of news consumption and critical thinking which support informed citizenship, and later expanded the program to voting-age citizens to help all Canadians understand the difference between fact-based journalism and misinformation in the digital world. This year, Natalie is leading the launch of a Black Journalism Fellowship program to develop emerging talent and give rise to Black voices and Black stories in Canada’s major media.

Turvey is a graduate of Laurentian University (Baccalauréat en éducation), Western University (Bachelor of Arts), and European University (Master of Business Administration) in Brussels, Belgium.
 

Laurentian to Present Honorary Doctorate to Margarete Kalin-Seidenfaden

Laurentian to Present Honorary Doctorate to Margarete Kalin-Seidenfaden

Award to be bestowed to trail-blazing scientist during 2020 Convocation Ceremony

(October 28, 2020) Laurentian University is set to commemorate the remarkable achievements of Margarete Kalin-Seidenfaden with a Doctor of Science, Honoris causa, at this fall’s convocation on October 31st.

Kalin-Seidenfaden is a fundamental contributor to “The Sudbury Protocol”, an ecological approach to environmental reclamation, which was then branded at Laurentian in 2016. Tussling with the cultural and industrial norms that excluded women in historically male-dominated fields, she has been an active member of the scientific community since 1963. Her determination served her well through an eventful career as an environmental consultant, culminating in her becoming the cofounder of Boojum Research.

Kalin-Seidenfaden conducted pivotal research in 1978 on the Madawaska uranium tailings in Bancroft and Elliot Lake. Her findings ultimately led to developing ecologically safer approaches to addressing mining tailings, including biological polishing and ARUM (acid reduction using microbiology). 

For the next three decades, Boojum Research tackled environmental reclamation projects including acid mine drainage with INCO and Falconbridge sites in Levack and Sudbury, Kam Kotia mine near Timmins, pyrite tailings at South Bay mine near Thunder Bay, and international projects in Germany and Australia. In 2002, Kalin-Seidenfaden donated Boojum Research’s large volume of research reports to the J.N. Desmarais Library. She has continued this relationship with the library, supporting the collection with new contributions as her body of knowledge has grown.

Join us in recognizing Kalin-Seidenfaden’s remarkable contributions as part of the 2020 Fall Convocation ceremony. 

QUOTE
“I am delighted that Margarete Kalin-Seidenfaden has accepted an honorary degree from Laurentian University. Her global leadership in ecological engineering and environmental reclamation is a perfect example for our students of how their work and research can truly make a difference.” Robert Haché, President and Vice-Chancellor of Laurentian University
 

LU to maintain remote delivery in winter semester

LU to maintain remote delivery in winter semester

Senate votes to deliver classes through online mediums amidst pandemic

October 21, 2020

 

Yesterday, the Laurentian University Senate voted in favour of delivering the Winter 2021 semester via remote delivery. The discussion on the question focused first and foremost on providing the best possible education for our students while safeguarding the health, safety and wellness of students, faculty, and staff.

 

Other factors in the discussion included the advances made in delivering classes via remote learning, the requirements related to hands-on learning, and the overall quality of the student experience. The University will continue to deliver a small number of classes in-person, in a similar way to the fall 2020 semester, in which less than 1% of classes were delivered in person.

 

Additionally, the University will continue to welcome students in residence apartments on campus. Staff have been working diligently to implement and maintain COVID-19 protocols to keep students safe and, amidst the circumstances, have created a secure environment for students to live and learn. With recent announcements from the federal government, which welcome international students to Canada, Laurentian is pleased to host students from around the world in compliance with the campus’ COVID-19 readiness plan.

 

The University continues to support students, faculty, and staff through their day to day activities remotely. Laurentian University has been a leader in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and was the first public university in Canada to recognize the severity of the pandemic, suspending in-person classes in March, 2020. The winter semester takes place from January 2021 to April 2021.

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