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Dr. Pamela Rose Toulouse honoured for excellence in teaching

Dr. Pamela Rose Toulouse honoured for excellence in teaching

Laurentian Professor Successfully Integrates Indigenous Teaching Philosophy to Build Rich Relationships among Students


April 2, 2014 - Dr. Pamela Rose Toulouse has been named the recipient of Laurentian University’s Teaching Excellence Award for Full-Time Faculty for 2013-2014. 

An Associate Professor in the School of Education at Laurentian University, Dr. Toulouse is entering her 21st year of teaching in the formal education setting. At the forefront of Dr. Toulouse’s approach as an educator is her passion for teaching and nurturing community within the classroom. 

“Kinoomaage is the Ojibwe word that is closest to the English term for teaching. My students, past, present and future, continue to be my greatest educators. They are an essential part of Kinoomaage that inspires me to organize, research and prepare a classroom environment that honours them all,” said Dr. Toulouse. 

Originally from the Sagamok First Nation, Pamela Rose Toulouse is a proud Ojibwe/Odawa woman and is well-known for her work in First Nations, Metis and Inuit (FNMI) Education. “Through her teaching, Pamela Toulouse contributes to the culturally responsive learning environment that we strive to foster at Laurentian University. She is regarded by her students and fellow faculty members with respect and admiration for her passion and commitment to her work,” said Robert Kerr, Vice-President and Provost at Laurentian. 

Dr. Toulouse’s approach is based in building rich relationships between classmates. She also provides a safe space for students to discuss issues in education and encourages them to investigate these further. “When we think of memorable teachers, the ones who were confident in our abilities, pushed us to always be better, encouraged us to pursue further education, and helped us learn from our mistakes so we could succeed, one person always comes to mind,” said her Junior/Intermediate Methods Students in their nomination letter. “Dr. Pamela Toulouse encompasses all of these qualities and she is an outstanding educator. She encourages her students to simply try their best in all endeavors.” 

The official award will be presented at the 2014 Spring Convocation. 

LU Students Win 3 Awards at Ontario Biology Day (OBD)

LU Students Win 3 Awards at Ontario Biology Day (OBD)

Congratulations to our dedicated LU crew!

March 23, 2014 - Laurentian’s crew of fourth-year thesis students are back from Ontario Biology Day (OBD), which took place on March 22nd and 23rd at the University of Toronto-Mississauga.  There were approximately 240 attendees at the conference: 31 of which were LU students, staff and faculty. Our students gave 24 presentations and came home with three awards!

  • William Mekers (supervised by M. Persinger) won best talk in the Neuro-anatomy category. 
  • Andrea Mendler (supervised by D. Lesbarrères and J. Litzgus) won best talk in the Conservation category. 
  • Sarah Tessier (supervised by L. Sutherland) won an award in the Excellence in Cell and Molecular Biology category.

Congratulations to our dedicated LU crew!

LU Nursing Students Win the 2014 Nursing Games!

LU Nursing Students Win the 2014 Nursing Games!

Congratulations to all members of the team!

March 22, 2014 - On March 22nd the Laurentian University Nursing and Sciences Infirmières programs won Nursing Games 2014 held at the University of Toronto. The team consisted of 16 French and 14 English nursing students. They represented Laurentian with pride as they competed against eight different teams from schools across Ontario in events such as trivia challenges, skills tests, scenario testing and sports.

The LU team received the highest score for the assessment and use of proper nursing interventions to care for their patient. Furthermore, the students demonstrated their caring and patient-centered care during skills challenges and were complimented on their performance during the scenario testing.

Congratulations to all members of the team!

A roadmap for linguistic duality: a lecture by the honorable Stéphane Dion

A roadmap for linguistic duality: a lecture by the honorable Stéphane Dion

Presented by the IFO and ACFAS-Sudbury

March 21, 2014 - Today, the Franco-Ontarian Institute and ACFAS-Sudbury welcomed the Honorable Stéphane Dion to present a lecture entitled “Regard critique sur la Feuille de route”. It was featured among 20 or so events ranging from scientific lectures to concerts supported by the Office of Francophone Affairs at Laurentian University in March, which is Francophonie Month.

 

During his presentation, Mr. Dion turned an analytical eye to the federal government’s actions in terms of official languages and the implementation of the 2003 official languages action plan up to the development of the Roadmap for Canada’s linguistic duality 2013-2018. He closed the talk by sharing his vision on the importance of official languages within the Government of Canada.

 

“We all share a common duty to work for the respect of our Canadian identity through one of our most treasured assets – two official languages, said Stéphane Dion. These considerations are especially important in linguistic minority communities where pillars – like Laurentian University – are working tirelessly to promote our distinct culture and develop our regions.”
 

Laurentian creates new faculties in health, education and graduate studies

Laurentian creates new faculties in health, education and graduate studies

Senate has approved a new Faculty structure, re-organizing and aligning many of the University’s schools and departments.

March 19, 2014 - The Laurentian University Senate approved a new Faculty structure, re-organizing and aligning many of the University’s schools and departments.

 

The existing Faculty of Professional Schools will be replaced by a Faculty of Health and a Faculty of Education. The existing Faculty of Science and Engineering will be renamed the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Architecture. The Faculty of Social Sciences and Faculty of Humanities will be merged into a Faculty of Arts. The School of Graduate Studies becomes a Faculty of Graduate Studies.

 

“This re-alignment of some of our academic programs will help to promote interdisciplinary studies, and the development of new programs and new program options in the future,” said Vice-President, Academic and Provost, Dr. Robert Kerr.

 

The creation of a Faculty of Health is one of the outcomes identified in the University’s 2012-2017 Strategic Plan, which called for professional health programs to be united into one Faculty to position Laurentian as a leader in inter-professional health education and research. Today’s decisions followed extensive consultations within the University community since early 2012.

 

The new Faculty of Health will include the School of Human Kinetics, the School of Indigenous Relations, the School of Nursing, the School of Rural and Northern Health, the School of Social Work, the Midwifery program, the Orthophonie program (Speech Pathology in French) and Huntington University’s Department of Gerontology.

 

The renamed Faculty of Science, Engineering and Architecture will feature the departments of Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Earth Sciences, Forensic Science, Mathematics and Computer Science, Physics, the Bharti School of Engineering endowed in October 2011, the new School of Architecture which welcomed its charter class of 70 students in September 2013 and the new School of Environment created earlier this year.

 

The new Faculty of Education will feature the English School of Education and the École des sciences de l’éducation.

 

The new Faculty of Arts will feature the departments of Economics, English, Études françaises, Geography, History, Law and Justice, Modern Languages and Literatures, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology, the new School of Northern and Community Studies, the M.A. program in Interdisciplinary Humanities, the PhD program in Human Studies as well as most departments from Laurentian’s federated and affiliated universities (Classical Studies, Communication publique, Communication Studies, Folklore et ethnologie, Indigenous Studies, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Theatre Arts, Women’s Studies).

 

The new Faculty of Graduate Studies reflects the growing importance of the University’s 38 master’s and PhD programs. Applications to graduate programs are up 60% for Fall 2014. Two new master’s programs are being introduced this fall: a M.A. in Indigenous Relations and a Maîtrise en sciences infirmières (M.Sc. Nursing in French).

 

No changes have been made to the Faculty of Management, the Faculty of Medicine (Northern Ontario School of Medicine) and the Goodman School of Mines.

 

The Faculty of Management will continue to feature the School of Commerce and Administration and the School of Sports Administration.

 

The Faculty of Medicine (Northern Ontario School of Medicine) continues to offer the undergraduate medical education program, postgraduate residency programs, continuing education and professional development, and interprofessional education programs.

 

The Goodman School of Mines launched in 2013 aims at expanding interdisciplinary majors and minors to enhance the skills of future professionals in mineral exploration and mining, and drive the creation of world-class executive programs in the five key areas of the mining cycle: from mineral exploration to project feasibility, mine development, mine closure and monitoring.

MIRARCO’s Vic Pakalnis wins the 2014 Minerva Education Award of Honour.

MIRARCO’s Vic Pakalnis wins the 2014 Minerva Education Award of Honour.

Pakalnis has demonstrated an enduring commitment to promoting Health and Safety.

March 18, 2014 - The award recognizes individuals for their long-standing contributions to advancing health and safety education in Canadian post secondary teaching institutions.

Vic Pakalnis, P.Eng. and President, CEO of MIRARCO Mining Innovation at Laurentian has demonstrated an enduring commitment to promoting Health and Safety. He has been an important contributor for Minerva’s educational programs and resources on Health and Safety since the early 90’s and he oversees the development of student teaching modules on Risk Management, Codes and Regulations.

Pakalnis is continuously promoting and teaching Health and Safety at MIRARCO and has been instrumental in establishing important partnerships for Minerva with academia, government and industry. 

The AJEFO awards scholarships to two students to promote french-language succession planning

The AJEFO awards scholarships to two students to promote french-language succession planning

For the fifth year, the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (AJEFO) will present two “Carrières en justice” scholarships

February 25, 2014 - For the fifth year, the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (AJEFO) will present two “Carrières en justice” scholarships in support of students pursuing, in French, an education in the field of law, in turn reinforcing quality emerging professionals in Ontario.

This year, the applications of two young women drew the attention of the Selection Committee, whose members were particularly impressed by the students’ attachment to the Franco-Ontarian culture, their strong desire to work in French and their willingness to contribute to the development of their community.

Vivian Ellery, 2nd year Law and Justice student at Laurentian University and Lydie Fagnia, who studies in the Legal Assistant Program at Collège Boréal, were the two students chosen to each receive a $1,000 scholarship.

Vivian Ellery aspires to a career in criminal law in Northern Ontario. Even though both of her parents are Anglophone, she did all of her schooling in French, always motivated by the French language, and never considering it just for convenience. Vivian is active in the community, notably at the Centre for Research on Social Justice and Policy where she contributes to the topics of poverty, homelessness and migration.

"Laurentian University is proud of both the academic and community excellence rewarded today by the AJEFO Scholarship, said Dominic Giroux, president and vice-chancellor of Laurentian University. By making Laurentian their university of choice each year, students like Vivian find in our programs a privileged space in which they can express their many talents and fully contribute to their community."

Originally from Cameroon, Lydie Fagnia lived through a situation of injustice in her home country, which sparked her desire to study in the field of law and also brought her to value Canada as a country where human rights are respected. While studying, she is also involved in many community events for immigrants, including justice awareness workshops.

The AJEFO is proud to recognize the involvement and motivation of these students in promoting the French language in their community as well as their future professional practice and is pleased to support them in their postsecondary pursuits.

The AJEFO is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting access to justice in French in Ontario.

Campus modernization begins at Laurentian University

Campus modernization begins at Laurentian University

Renewal of Great Hall and improved meal options scheduled for Fall 2014

February 20, 2014 - The first major step in a sweeping modernization of Laurentian University’s Sudbury campus will begin this summer with renovations to the iconic Great Hall.  The $2.09M contract for modernization of the 60-year old hall has been awarded to Sudbury-based Capital Construction and work is scheduled to begin this spring, at the end of the current academic term. 
 

“Our planned renovations to the Great Hall will create a warm, welcoming and sophisticated dining and gathering space for students, staff, and visitors to the campus,” said Ben Demianiuk, Director of Housing and Food Services.  “We believe the re-design will make this much-loved campus fixture a new and inviting focal point at Laurentian.” 
 

Artists’ renderings of the redesign propose up-to-date lighting and furnishings, with a variety of comfortable seating.  The food services offered through the Great Hall have also been re-envisioned as a “Marché-style” dining experience, to be operated by Aramark Food Services under the name Fresh Food Co. 
 

“Throughout our campus consultations, we heard that students want more menu options, more fresh food and healthy meal choices.  With the Marché approach, we’ll be able to deliver far more variety on a daily basis, with 12 different food-choice stations, compared with the current three,” said Demianiuk. The Fresh Food Co will also offer more local produce and locally-sourced food products, to be highlighted on daily menu boards.  The university continues to seek further opportunities for local food and beverage suppliers to offer their products on campus.
Conceptual-rendering

The Marché will operate as an ‘everything you care to eat’ system, allowing unlimited choices at set rates for each meal period.  Dining will be most affordable with one of the menu plans created for the new food services, ranging from the designated meal plan for students living in Single Student Residence, University College, East, and West Residences, to the Optional meal plan for faculty, staff and students in non-designated residences.
 

“We’re joining the majority of Canadian universities in providing meal plans for students in residence, providing students and their families the assurance of fresh, nourishing meal choices throughout the academic year at a reasonable price,” said Vice-President, Administration Carol McAulay.  
 

The Great Hall renovation project is a prelude to the sweeping campus modernization program approved by Laurentian’s Board of Governors and outlined in the University’s 2012-2017 Strategic Plan.  The $50M campus modernization program will entail numerous upgrades and renovations to classrooms, labs, study areas and social spaces over the next 3 years. 

“It will be the first significant modernization of some parts of the Sudbury campus, and the intent is to optimize and modernize our facilities while improving the use of space and streamlining access to services,” said Executive Director of Physical Plant and Planning, Brad Parkes.  
 

During the period of renovations to the Great Hall, dining options will continue at Tim Hortons and Starbucks while a barbeque food cart will be added to offer a variety of seasonal favourites.
Great-Hall_Conceptual-rendering
 

Construction to begin on Laurentian Architecture's Phase Two

Construction to begin on Laurentian Architecture's Phase Two

University Board approves contract for 55,000 square foot project in downtown Sudbury

February 14, 2014 - Laurentian University’s Board of Governors today unanimously approved the awarding of a $23.9M contract for the construction of Phase Two of the Laurentian School of Architecture.  Work on the 55,000 square feet of new construction is expected to begin in March, 2014, with preparation of the foundation at the Elm and Elgin site.  

 

“Phase Two of our Laurentian Architecture project will see the completion of an important landmark in the city’s downtown core. We are confident this building will be an extraordinary home for the Architecture program,” said Laurentian University President and Vice-Chancellor, Dominic Giroux. 

 

Designed by LGA Architectural Partners, the School of Architecture will be a unique building comprising two distinct and contrasting wings.  The North Wing, fronting on Elm Street, will be a steel framed structure containing mezzanines above the second floor.  The West Wing will be a two-storey glulam and Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) wood structure, and will be the first large-scale use of CLT in a public building in Ontario.   The two new wings will house classrooms and studio space, a lecture theatre, lounges and office areas, while creating an inner courtyard and a public walkway.  The first phase of construction consisted of renovating the two heritage buildings that currently provide faculty and studio space for the Laurentian Architecture program, which officially launched in September, 2013.  

 

“It is an exceptional and innovative design and we believe the final result will be an exciting, visually stunning addition to the cityscape,” said Laurentian Architecture’s Founding Director, Dr. Terrance Galvin.  “The whole community is going to see this beautiful structure taking shape over the months to come, and I think it’s going to be thrilling to watch this dynamic process.”

 

The contract has been awarded to Bondfield Construction of Concord, Ontario, after a competitive bidding process.  Approximately 100 local tradespeople and labourers are expected to be involved in the 18-month construction project.

 

Bondfield Construction is a family-owned Canadian construction company with broad experience in public infrastructure projects, and is a leader in LEED and green energy construction. Among many other public buildings across the province, Bondfield Construction’s portfolio includes the Queen’s School of Business, Kingston; the University of Guelph Engineering Complex; the University of Waterloo Science Building; Global Innovation Exchange, Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo; Georgian College Health and Wellness Centre in Barrie; Bishop Strachan School in Toronto; the Barrie Public Library, and the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts.  

 

 

 

 

The Laurentian University School of Architecture is the first new school of architecture to open in Canada in 45 years.  Major funding partners in the project are:

 

⎯ The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities (MTCU)

⎯ The Government of Canada’s Regional Development Organization for Northern Ontario (FedNOR) 

⎯ The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund 

⎯ The City of Greater Sudbury 

⎯ Centre for Research & Innovation in the Bio‐Economy (CRIBE) Laurentian University

Dr. Kabwe Nkongolo honoured for excellence in research

Dr. Kabwe Nkongolo honoured for excellence in research

Professor of Biology Dr. Kabwe Nkongolo, has been named the recipient of the University’s 2013-2014 Research Excellence Award.

February 6, 2014 - Laurentian University Professor of Biology Dr. Kabwe Nkongolo, has been named the recipient of the University’s 2013-2014 Research Excellence Award. 

 

Dr. Nkongolo is a full professor of Genetics in the Department of Biology and a core faculty member in the Biomolecular Science Ph.D program at Laurentian University.  Before joining Laurentian in 1992, Dr. Nkongolo spent 4 years at Colorado State University in the USA.  He is a graduate of Laval University, Quebec, where he completed his M.Sc. in toxicology and his Ph.D in Genetics.

 

“Dr. Nkongolo is recognized for the impact of his work both at the community level and beyond,” said Dr. Patrice Sawyer, Laurentian University Vice-President, Research and Francophone Affairs.  “Dr. Nkongolo has made significant contributions through his research in environmental generics and the health of Northern Ontario ecosystems, Genetics of Diabetes and through international projects in food security,” he added.

 

The Research Excellence Award Committee bestows the award when there is evidence of “outstanding performance” by a faculty member.  It is marked with a stipend of $15,000, which can be paid as a sabbatical research grant.

 

“I am honored to be included on this list of many scholars who are contributing to the National and International recognition of Laurentian University," said Dr. Nkongolo.

 

To celebrate this achievement, Dr. Nkongolo gave a presentation of his research as part of the Opening Ceremonies of Research Week.  He will be presented with his award at the 2014 spring convocation.

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