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Laurentian University Celebrates Inaugural Master of Architecture Graduates

McEwen School of Architecture Grads to shape Canada’s Indigenous Architecture Landscape

May 29, 2019 - Next week, 29 students from the McEwen School of Architecture will be recognized at convocation and receive the first degrees of Master of Architecture ever conferred by Laurentian University.

These students will not only be realizing their dream, but the dream of many community members who helped make the McEwen School of Architecture a reality. For our community members, this represents another significant milestone in the story of the school. For the students, their six-year journey culminates with this degree.

“Seeing our first group of Masters students cross the stage will be a proud moment for our students, their families and our faculty members. When I think about this group of trailblazers, the first of many to follow, they’re an impressive group of resilient leaders,” said Dr. David Fortin, Director of the McEwen School of Architecture.

“They’ve persevered through, and learned from, the multiple construction projects within the school. They’ve been the first to complete the many community projects and build partnerships. They’ve done all of this without a blueprint to follow.”

The moment is one that is especially gratifying for the school’s founding director - Dr. Terrance Galvin. “From the beginning, we wanted to have an impact on Canada’s Indigenous architecture landscape. I can think back to when we first started this program, there were 13 registered Indigenous architects across Canada. Now, we have three Indigenous architectural graduates (to add to the 18 registered Indigenous architects in Canada) and have many more enrolled. We’ve been able to bring together traditional teachings, the needs of our communities, and modern architectural practices to deliver a program that is truly unique,” said Dr. Galvin.

The school is not only unique in its commitment to inclusivity of Indigenous perspectives and worldviews, but has been internationally recognized for the exceptional teaching, the accomplishments of the students and even the physical building of the school at the heart of downtown Sudbury.

The McEwen School of Architecture’s graduation ceremony will be held on June 6th, 2019 at 2:30 PM at Laurentian University’s Fraser Auditorium. The ceremony is a private event with seating reserved for our students and their invited guests, however, it can be viewed live online by visiting: laurentian.ca/convocation.

McEwen School of Architecture collects national awards

May 29, 2019 - Students and faculty members with the McEwen School of Architecture are earning awards and recognition both in Canada and around the world. Although the school’s inaugural Masters of Architecture class graduates this spring, McEwen has already garnered the kinds of prestigious awards and recognition one would expect from more long-standing institutions.

Students recognized for projects that connect people to the landscape

Master’s of Architecture student Sophie Mackey was among seven winners of the Ontario Association of Architects’ first ever SHIFT 2019 ideas competition.

Mackey received the honour for her thesis project, Immigrant Landscapes: Architecture in the Age of Migration. Her thesis explores how the City of Greater Sudbury can better accommodate new immigrants by centralizing many of the services critical to this population demographic. Mackey imagined and designed the integration of a small library, a daycare and a learning centre to help welcome newcomers to the community.

To add to the accolades, Architecture students Brendan McDonald, Muskan Goel, and Harrison Lane received honourable mention at the National Capital Commission design competition.

Their design goal was “to re-connect people with the river in addition to its amenities by using water to re-calibrate existing infrastructure. This would provide a social gathering hub where activities of different scales can happen from markets and festivals to picnics and playing.”

Professor Tammy Gaber receives Women Who Inspire Award

The Canadian Council of Muslim Women recognized McEwen School of Architecture assistant professor Tammy Gaber with its annual Women Who Inspire award on Sunday, April 28, 2019.

“Challenging the conventional stereotypes, these women proudly serve their communities and are a source of inspiration for all Canadians,” said the Canadian Council of Muslim Women.

Gaber is among seven recipients from across Canada for 2019. Much of her research has focused on the architecture of Islam and in particular, on contemporary mosque design. She is also the first recipient in the field of architecture.

Rob and Cheryl McEwen to receive Words & Deeds Leadership Award

The world renowned Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs is honouring Rob and Cheryl McEwen with its Words & Deeds Leadership Award for their volunteer work and philanthropy.

Cheryl McEwen is a volunteer, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. Rob McEwen is founder and former CEO of Goldcorp and now Chair and Chief Owner of McEwen Mining Inc.

In 2016 the couple donated $10-million to Laurentian University, and helped make the McEwen School of Architecture a reality.

In addition to the McEwen School of Architecture, they have also donated to The Rob & Cheryl McEwen Graduate Study & Research Building at the Schulich School of Business, York University; the McEwen Leadership Program at St Andrew’s & Lakefield College Schools; The Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation; Mount Sinai Hospital; The Weizmann Institute; The Grand Cru Culinary Wine Festival; the Art Gallery of Ontario; and Toronto’s Luminato Festival. Internationally, Cheryl and Rob are also both engaged with Virgin Galactic, X-Prize Foundation, International Society of Stem Cell Research Conference (ISSCR), the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, and the Prince’s Charities.

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.

Desjardins commits $300,000 to improving the student experience

Funds will enhance leadership development and support student success

May 6, 2019 - While the academic year has just finished at universities across the country, Desjardins has announced their commitment towards improving the student experience at Laurentian University with a $300,000 investment.

‘I’m very proud of this donation because it illustrates our commitment to youth and education. One of our priorities at Desjardins is to serve Canadian youth by building relationships with them and assisting them with achieving their goals. At Desjardins, we firmly believe that education plays a key role in helping us to create prosperity and maintain vibrant social and economic networks in our communities,’ said Guy Cormier, chair of the board, president and CEO of Desjardins Group.

The donation will enhance leadership development and support student success. This contribution will take life in the form of two student scholarships, experiential learning opportunities and the future upgrading of a campus classroom.

“Desjardins has historically been a great partner of Laurentian University and this commitment is taking our partnership into the future. When I see community partners like Desjardins taking an active role in enhancing the student experience, it gives me tremendous confidence in building our next generation of leaders.” said interim President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Pierre Zundel.

Desjardins Award in Business Administration

The scholarship will be awarded annually, starting in fall 2019, as the top prize in the venture project competition which consists of presenting a business plan, budget estimates and other documents to assess the feasibility of a potential business.
This scholarship will be awarded to two students – one enrolled in the French-language program (Baccalauréat spécialisé en administration des affaires), the other in the English Business Administration program – who design the best products and achieve the highest scores in the competition.

Desjardins Innovation Challenge Award

A second scholarship will also be created, this one under the name “Desjardins Innovation Challenge Award” starting in fall 2019, and awarded annually.
This scholarship will be awarded as the top prize to students in the Voyageur Innovation Challenge.

Funds will also be dedicated to support leadership development and experiential learning activities and initiatives within the University as well as in community and sector-specific settings. In addition to the financial contribution, Desjardins will be offering co-op placement opportunities for Laurentian University students to work at Desjardins.

Engineering student receives $30,000 grant for Indigenous youth camp

May 1, 2019 - An enterprising Laurentian engineering student has received a $30,000 grant to expand a camp she started to help revitalize Anishinaabe culture.

Kaella-Marie Earle, a fourth-year engineering student, said the grant from the Laidlaw Foundation Indigenous Youth and Community Futures Fund will allow her to expand the Maamiwi Gibeshiwin Indigenous Cultural Training Camp -- extending the camp from three to four days, and supporting more activities and facilitators.

With the new funding, she said she also plans create a website for the camp, and promote it more ahead of time.

Earle was motivated to start the camp when she heard about Barbara Kentner, an Indigenous woman from Thunder Bay who was killed when she was struck by a trailer hitch in November 2017.

Earle wanted to bridge the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, and help end a cycle of violence that has victimized Indigenous women and girls.

With help from Indigenous knowledge keepers and elders, the camp has helped Indigenous participants reconnect with their culture and their language. Non-Indigenous participants learn about that culture, the impact of intergenerational trauma and help non-Indigenous people develop their allyship skills so they can be active in changing the narrative about Indigenous peoples.

It can be an emotional experience for both groups, Earle said.

Anyone interested in participating in the camp, or volunteering, can reach Earle at km_earle@laurentian.ca.

Dr. Céline Larivière appointed Dean of the Faculty of Health

April 30, 2019 - Dr. Céline Larivière (PhD, RKin) has been named as the Founding Dean of the Faculty of Health. Dr. Larivière has served in this role as interim Dean since July 2017.

“I am truly honoured to have the opportunity to lead the Faculty of Health in the coming years. Having had the benefit of working with so many exceptional faculty members, staff, and of course, students, I believe the Faculty of Health is well positioned to make a significant and positive impact on the wellbeing of communities near and far. Capitalizing on its existing educational programs, research initiatives and looking forward to the development of new and innovative programming, we're well equipped to educate the next generation of leaders in the area of health and wellness” said Dr. Larivière.

Dr. Larivière pursued doctoral studies in Physiology at the University of Ottawa between 1994 and 1999 then completed post-doctoral training for a period of two years at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. She began her career at Laurentian University in 2002 as an Assistant Professor in the School of Human Kinetics. During this time she developed a research program in the area of muscle cell biology. She has held administrative positions at Laurentian University including: Vice-dean Francophone Affairs of the Faculty of Professional Schools (2003-2005), Interim Director of Research (2011) and the Director of the School of Human Kinetics (2012-2017). Lastly, she was a member of the Executive committee for the Canadian Council of University Physical Education and Kinesiology Administrators (CCUPEKA) and served on the College of Kinesiologists of Ontario's University Liaison committee.

“Dr. Larivière is a proven scholar and a visionary leader. She possesses all the qualities of an extraordinary Dean and we are grateful she’s accepted to take on this leadership role at Laurentian University,” said Dr. Serge Demers, Laurentian’s Interim Vice-President, Academic and Provost.

The Dean of the Faculty of Health, contributes significantly to the University’s Strategic Plan, and promotes focused areas of research excellence within the Faculty, while continuing to maintain strong graduate and undergraduate programs. Reporting to the Vice President, Academic and Provost, the Dean fosters strong relationships with faculty members, Chairs and Directors, and will work collaboratively with University wide governance bodies, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, fellow Deans, senior administration, the Board of Governors, industry, external advisory bodies, the media and the community at large.

Faculty of Health

Laurentian University Delivers Balanced 2019-20 Budget

April 26, 2019 - The Laurentian University Board of Governors today approved a balanced $161M budget for 2019-20. This represents a growth of 0.2% over last year’s budget and eliminates the $4.4M deficit while investing in priorities outlined in our 2018-23 strategic plan.

Balancing the budget this year has not been easy given a series of factors beyond the University’s control including a loss of approximately $3 million per year due to political tensions which impacted our students from Saudi Arabia. Compounding that situation is the mandated 10% cut to domestic tuition. The budget has built in an assumption of $5.5 million of support from the Province’s Northern Sustainability Fund to provide time for the University to complete the implementation of its sustainability plan.

“Achieving a balanced budget is the result of work from across the university identifying and implementing measures that found more than 10 million dollars in savings,” said Vice-President Administration, Lorella Hayes “That said, we have more work to do. We are all actively working on creating efficiencies, finding better ways to operate and improve outcomes for students.”

Highlights of the budget include:

Increase in spending to support academics including hiring faculty in accredited programs as identified in our strategic plan
Increasing academic supports
Maintaining student service levels
Increase investment in graduate teaching assistants (GTA) and related scholarships
Increasing investments in International Student recruitment and supports

This budget allows us to continue without disrupting critical services but it has also included decisions not to rehire in certain administrative and academic areas. Laurentians commitment to providing world-class education and opportunities for students is unwavering as it continues to trace its path to sustainability.

“This budget was developed after an unprecedented consultation process involving all corners of the university.” said interim President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Pierre Zundel. “We have dramatically increased transparency and as a result, this budget maintains a focus on continued success for our students and our communities.”

Laurentian is determined to hold the line on costs and to seek revenue and savings opportunities which will sustain growth and increase its relevance in the North and well beyond.

With well-focused strategic plans and alignments, strong performance in research, teaching and community engagement, clarity on the path forward, and a shared vision for the future, we are continue to build on our investments and grow stronger together, ensemble, maamwi.

About Laurentian University

Located on the Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850 territory, Laurentian University recognizes that we are on the traditional lands of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and Wahnapitae First Nation. 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.

Indigenous Social Work student Mathew Dueck awarded prestigious 3M National Student Fellowship

April 9, 2019 - Third-year Indigenous social work student Mathew Dueck has become Laurentian’s first ever student to be awarded the prestigious 3M National Student Fellowship.

Dueck was among 10 accomplished students from across Canada to receive the 2019 award.

The 3M National Student Fellowship Award was introduced in 2012 to honour undergraduate students in Canada who have demonstrated qualities of outstanding leadership and who embrace a vision where the quality of their educational experience can be enhanced in academia and beyond.

Dueck prepared an trilingual essay -- in English, French and Cree -- for his application, where he talked about the initiatives he has undertaken on campus to improve access for students with disabilities, advocate for mental health and support the university’s annual Giving Tuesday initiative.

“Mathew is the embodiment of what constitutes a student leader committed to equity, Indigenization and innovation,” said Laurentian University Interim President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Pierre Zundel, who is himself a 3M National Teaching Fellow. “The Laurentian University community congratulates Mathew for this achievement.”

Each fellow will receive a $5,000 award, and will have the opportunity to participate in the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Conference, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where they will work on a project related to post-secondary education.

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.

Dr. Jeremy Richards recipient of prestigious Duncan R. Derry Medal

April 5, 2019 - The Harquail School of Earth Sciences, Laurentian University, is pleased to announce that Dr. Jeremy Richards, Professor of Economic Geology and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Metallogeny, is the 2019 recipient of the Duncan R. Derry Medal, which is awarded annually by the Mineral Deposits Division (MDD) of the Geological Association of Canada (GAC) to an “outstanding economic geologist who has made significant contributions to the science of economic geology in Canada”.

Our previous winners of the Duncan R. Derry Medal are Drs. Michael Lesher (2007), Harold Gibson (2011) and Daniel Kontak (2016). The Harquail School’s Director, Dr. Doug Tinkham, congratulates Dr. Jeremy Richards: “We are honoured to now have four faculty in our roster who have won this prestigious award over the past 12 years, which attests to the Harquail School’s strength in economic geology. Our expertise is focussed in multiple research programs, including the currently conducted 7-year $104M Metal Earth project, the largest geoscience research project ever undertaken in Canada.”

The economic geology strength at Laurentian University is further underlined by the highest level of NSERC and TGI funding in economic geology of any university in Canada.

Dr. Richards will receive the 2019 Duncan R. Derry Medal at the Geological Association of Canada - Mineral Association of Canada (GAC-MAC) conference that will take place in Québec City, this year from May 12 - 15.

For more information about Dr. Richards’s contributions to economic geology and metallogeny, please refer to his faculty profile on the Harquail School of Earth Sciences website.

About the Harquail School of Earth Sciences

The Harquail School of Earth Sciences and its Mineral Exploration Research Centre (MERC) comprise 19 award-winning faculty (2 cross-appointed faculty members) including three Geological Association of Canada-Mineral Deposits Division winners, seven staff, six post-doctoral fellows, 78 graduate and 94 undergraduate award-winning students. It has by far the highest level of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and Targeted Geoscience Initiative (TGI) funding in economic geology of any department in Canada. It is housed in the ultra-modern Willet Green Miller Centre, together with the Ontario Geological Survey, the Ontario Geoscience Laboratories (Geo Labs) and the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines.

IAMGOLD Student Engineering Junction Unveiled

Dedicated space to enhance the student experience.

April 03, 2019 - Laurentian University is pleased to unveil the IAMGOLD Student Engineering Junction, located within the Cliff Fielding Research, Innovation and Engineering Building.

This dedicated collaboration space will further enhance opportunities for students in the Bharti School of Engineering. To honour this contribution, the space has been named the IAMGOLD Student Engineering Junction.

“This is a space where engineering students from across all disciplines can gather to collaborate on projects and share ideas to foster and support work being done in classrooms, shops and laboratories,” said Laurentian University Interim President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Pierre Zundel.

This transformative investment of $2,000,000 was first announced on March 15, 2018. The space includes student study spaces and the IAMGOLD Student Common Room. In addition to this, the funds are supporting engineering lab refurbishment, upgrades to technology and equipment, research, scholarships as well as student activities and field trips.

IAMGOLD’s initial investment in 2013 of $1.25 million, enabled Laurentian to hire two IAMGOLD Research Fellows who have played a role in enhancing teaching and research capacity at the Bharti School of Engineering.

About IAMGOLD

IAMGOLD Corp. Inc. is a Toronto-based, leading mid-tier gold producer with four operating gold mines (including current joint ventures) on three continents, with a pipeline of development and exploration projects. The company’s growth plans are focused in Canada, select countries in South America and Africa.

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