On behalf of the Director, Research and Innovation, the Office of Research Services is pleased to announce the appointment of the Kathryne Kril-Atkins and Michael R. Atkins Innovation Fellowship to two Laurentian University faculty members. The Innovation Fellowships, created by a donation from Kathryne Kril-Atkins and Michael R. Atkins, will help to foster Laurentian’s expanding entrepreneurial culture by supporting emerging areas of innovation that will not only help to alleviate societal and environmental challenges but also provide experiential learning opportunities for our students. In alignment with the mission of the Foundry, Laurentian University’s dedicated entrepreneurship programming, housed within the Jim Fielding Innovation and Commercialization Space, the Fellows will mentor students and other highly qualified personnel as they develop critical skills in innovation and entrepreneurship.
Steven Beites - McEwen School of Architecture
Steven Beites’s research focuses on improving housing in the North and worldwide. Through a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Development Grant and a New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) Exploration Grant, Steven's work explores emerging design-build solutions within Northern Ontario’s construction and housing industries to improve housing accessibility, affordability, and sustainability.
As an Innovation Fellow, Steven will advance a Housing Innovation and Automation project that aims to revolutionize construction by empowering local builders with the knowledge required to benefit from low-carbon prefabrication and advanced automation technologies. The fellowship will support the development of control software and end-of-arm tooling for the automated manufacturing and semi-automated assembly of prefabrication panels, thereby increasing efficiences and housing stock while reducing the carbon footprint within the construction industry. As the project progresses toward commercialization, it will create new research opportunities with real-world, innovative applications, while also striving for a better future for Northern communities through improving housing accessibility and affordability.
Mateus Pepinelli - School of Natural Sciences
Dr. Mateus Pepinelli has an extensive background in entomology, with a focus on the systematics, biology, and ecology of aquatic insects, and more recently, research on honey bees and environmental DNA (eDNA). From 2019 to 2023, Mateus managed the BeeCSI project, a Genome Canada Large-Scale Applied Research initiative aimed at identifying stressor-specific biomarkers in honey bees across Canada. At Laurentian University, Mateus continues his research on the challenges facing honey bees, particularly the impacts of climate change on plant flowering patterns and the resulting effects on plant-pollinator interactions.
As an Innovation Fellow, Mateus will lead the development of a new eDNA device to track climate-induced changes across plant-pollinator networks. By implementing a non-invasive air sampler to test airborne eDNA found within honey bee colonies, the project aims to monitor variations in plant flowering and pollen release as our climate continues changing. In collaboration with Northern Ontario beekeepers, Mateus seeks to develop a series of interactive workshops related to the project, allowing students and other participants to develop skills in innovation, design, and problem-solving. The fellowship will support the development and piloting of an eDNA air-sampler, the implementation of a standardized sampling protocol, as well as the construction of a beehive model for educational and prototyping purposes. By engaging with the Northern beekeeping community and integrating Indigenous knowledge, the project will foster an innovative and collaborative learning environment. Ultimately, this initiative will generate meaningful contributions to research on climate change impacts and strengthen community ties through education and participation.