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Congratulations, Félicitations, Felicitazioni

Congratulations, Félicitations, Felicitazioni

Laurentian University’s Dr. Patrick Anthony Cavaliere is the proud recipient of the “Collegio Matteo Ricci” Distinguished Visiting Scholar Prize

Dr. Patrick Cavaliere's headshotLaurentian University is pleased to congratulate Dr. Patrick Anthony Cavaliere for receiving the “Collegio Matteo Ricci” Distinguished Visiting Scholar Prize from the University of Macerata, in Italy.

Dr. Patrick Anthony Cavaliere’s professional record was submitted for consideration by the President and Rector of the University of Macerata, Professor Luigi Lacché and received a perfect score of 100/100.

The nomination was unanimously endorsed by the University of Macerata Senate and Board of Governors.

The University of Macerata evaluated academic nominees and candidates based on the following:

  • Professional experiences
  • Impact of distinguished publications
  • Teaching excellence
  • Previous honors and awards
  • Importance of current research initiatives 


Dr. Cavaliere’s research is focused on modern Italian history, with a specialization in Italian Fascism, totalitarian regimes, and institutional theory of organizations.
 

“Collegio Matteo Ricci” Distinguished Visiting Scholar Prize

The Collegio Matteo Ricci” Distinguished Visiting Scholar Prize aims to encourage international movement among scholars as well as to develop or strengthen networks of collaboration among scholars around the world. It includes:

  • A personal cash prize
  • A term of full-time residency with the Faculty of Law, beginning the fall term 2017
  • A Distinguished Fellowship Appointment in the History of Penal Law and Criminal Justice to work specifically with the 'Fondo Mario Sbricoli' (Istituto di Studi Storici)
  • Rent-free family accommodations at the “Collegio Matteo Ricci” in the historic city of Macerata
  • A series of guest lectures
  • The opportunity to lead a collaborative, multidisciplinary research initiative involving both doctoral students and faculty
     

Dr. Cavaliere is currently working on series of volumes on political criminal justice during the Fascist regime, which is to be published by ARACNE Editrice, Rome. A long-term research and publication initiative, funded by the internationally renowned Vidal Sassoon International Centre for the Study of Antisemitism (SICSA) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, is entitled Antisemitism in Fascist Italy: From the Rise of Fascism to the Racial Laws of 1938 and the Politics of the Final Solution.

Dr. Cavaliere is a member of the Department of History at Laurentian and is currently an elected member of the Laurentian University Senate and a member of the Laurentian University Board of Governors.

Canadian and Ontario governments invest $27.4 million in infrastructure at Laurentian

Canadian and Ontario governments invest $27.4 million in infrastructure at Laurentian

Part of $60.7 million project to include a new Research, Innovation and Engineering Building

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 – The federal government will invest $21.1 million and the Ontario government will invest $6.3 million towards research and innovation infrastructure at Laurentian University. As part of a broad capital program totalling $60.7 million to be completed by March 2018, this $27.4 million investment is earmarked for the immediate construction of a new 47,000 sq ft Research, Innovation and Engineering Building. The announcement was made today by Members of Parliament Marc Serré and Paul Lefebvre, Deputy Premier Deb Matthews and Energy Minister and Sudbury Member of Provincial Parliament Glenn Thibeault. 

“The significant support of $27.4 million received today from this joint federal-provincial announcement, the largest infrastructure announcement in Laurentian’s 56-year history, allows for the expansion of much needed research and innovation space in our region,” said Jennifer Witty, Chair of the Board of Governors at Laurentian University.  “With this investment, we will build the infrastructure required to support education and research, foster innovation, and create opportunity for students while strengthening the economy.”

 

The federal investment is made through the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund announced in the 2016 Federal Budget.  This $2-billion fund is intended to spur job creation, expand research and grow innovation by enhancing and modernizing research facilities on Canadian campuses while improving the environmental sustainability of these facilities. 

 

"Canada's post-secondary institutions are front-line agents in fostering science and research excellence. They help to train the workforce of tomorrow and create knowledge and insights necessary for the private sector and policy makers to build a thriving, clean economy," said the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. “Laurentian University has ambitious plans that will create well-paying jobs in its community while also delivering economic growth for years to come,” added Bains.

 

The provincial investment includes $5 million from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation. “The Ontario government is proud to support this important project that will deliver new and improved facilities needed to prepare students for successful careers in engineering and research. As a result of these investments, students, faculty and staff will work in state-of-the-art facilities that advance the country's best research and support lifelong learning and skills training,” said the Honourable Deb Matthews, Ontario Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development.

 

The new Research, Innovation and Engineering Building, located between the Fraser and Parker buildings on the Sudbury campus, will include:

  • Collaborative Research and Development space, enabling researchers across the University to share equipment and expertise to operate highly-specialized equipment;
  • A dedicated Innovation and Commercialization space leveraging its partnership with the Northern Centre for Advanced Technology (NORCAT) to help emerging start-ups by bridging the gap between laboratory and market;
  • Four capstone innovation labs allowing students in civil, chemical, mechanical and mining engineering to put their knowledge and skills to work to address creative design problems for actual clients;
  • A Materials Analysis Lab to support researchers, students and industry partners in chemical analysis as well as mechanical, metallurgical, corrosion, heat treatment and capability testing;
  • An Environmental and Soil Mechanics Lab will contain instrumentation, environmental chambers and other specialized equipment to support research, innovation and industry partners in the design of foundation and earth structures, and address issues in water chemistry, environmental microbiology, physical and chemical processes, and microbiological processes in addition to analytical equipment and bench-scale treatment systems;
  • A Prototype Development and Machine Shop enabling innovation requiring a physical system;
  • An Integrated Software Lab and Lecture Theatre will be equipped for computer- based activities using engineering software. This additional capacity will allow students to complete years 3 and 4 in civil engineering at Laurentian, and will accommodate bilingual engineering students who currently travel 400-600 km to complete their degrees;
  • A Hydraulics and Fluid Mechanics Lab enabling engineering students to learn and research about open channel and closed channel fluid flows.

“Over the last 10 years, Laurentian University has secured more than $200 million in research income while enrolment at the award-winning Bharti School of Engineering has increased from 100 to 700 students during that period,” said Laurentian President Dominic Giroux. “We have a major role to play in supporting research and innovation opportunities both for students and for industry partners. The support received by the federal and provincial governments will certainly help us meet these demands,” added Giroux.

In addition to the new Research, Innovation and Engineering Building, Laurentian’s $60.7 million capital program includes investments by the university towards a new Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research Lab, new one-stop student services, a new Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre, renovations to five labs in the Faculty of Health and a new roof for the J.N. Desmarais Library. It also features a $11.2 million partnership with Greater Sudbury Utilities for a cogeneration initiative to update the University’s heating systems campus-wide to an energy efficient combined heat and power (CHP) and aggregated district energy system. This will allow the University to reduce its electricity consumption by 79%.

A KPMG study estimates the direct economic activity generated by this project at over $102 million in gross economic output with $54 million contributed to Canada’s Gross Domestic Product.  The project is estimated to support 625 person-years of employment.

Laurentian’s Research, Engineering and Innovation proposal was developed in consultation and in response to community needs identified by the City of Greater Sudbury, the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, the Sudbury Area Mining Supply and Service Association (SAMSSA), Greater Sudbury Utilities, Health Sciences North, Science North, NORCAT – Sudbury’s Innovation Centre, the Global Advisory Council of the Bharti School of Engineering and the Laurentian University Native Education Council (LUNEC) among others. Laurentian University received over 50 letters of support from community and industry partners.  For more information about the project click here.

Laurentian celebrates major successes in NSERC and SSHRC funding

Laurentian celebrates major successes in NSERC and SSHRC funding

$3.5M investment from Federal Government will support wide range of research and training

SEPTEMBER 13, 2016 – Laurentian has been awarded $3.5 M from the Federal Government in Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) funding. 

 

NSERC will deliver nearly $3.15M to Laurentian University through the CREATE, Discovery Grant and Research Tools and Instruments Grant programs.  “A greater number of researchers applied for funding through these programs this year and the University saw a record amount of successful proposals,” said Dr. Thomas Merritt, Laurentian’s NSERC Leader.

 

To increase success in the NSERC competition, Laurentian has offered workshops, mentoring and peer-to-peer support to researchers which strengthened the applications.

 

Laurentian was successful in increasing SSHRC funding this year.  “We saw an 11% increase in SSHRC funding over last year,” said Dr. Gillian Crozier, Laurentian’s SSHRC Leader. “This increase is due in large part to new awards in the Insight and Insight Development Grant programs.”

Laurentian researchers were also awarded new funding through SSHRC’s Connection Grant program which supports large-scale knowledge mobilization initiatives. 

Dr. Rui Wang, Vice-President Research, wishes to congratulate all Laurentian researchers and thanks NSERC and SSHRC for their support, “I am proud of Laurentian’s researchers across all seven faculties who excelled in this year’s NSERC and SSHRC competitions. Our achievements in these peer-reviewed national funding competitions is evidence of Laurentian’s national recognition and excellence in these areas.”

 

Key facts include:

  • SSHRC funding amount increased by 11% in 2015-2016 over 2014-15;
  • NSERC funding amount increased by 45% in 2015-16 over 2014-15;
  • Areas of research that will benefit from NSERC funding include: Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Earth Sciences, Engineering, Human Kinetics, Math and Computer Science, and Physics;
  • The success rate of Laurentian’s NSERC Discovery grant applications is 55% in 2016 compared to 29% in 2015;
  • The NSERC CREATE Grant Program supports the training of teams of highly qualified students and postdoctoral fellows from Canada and abroad through the development of innovative training programs;
  • The NSERC Discovery Grants Program supports ongoing research with long-term goals; 
  • The NSERC Research Tools and Instruments Grants Program provides the primary avenue for university researchers in the natural sciences and engineering to obtain up to $150,000 in support for research tools and instruments;
  • The primary objective of the SSHRC Insight Program is to build knowledge and understanding from disciplinary, interdisciplinary and/or cross-sector perspectives through support for the best researchers;
  • SSHRC Insight Development Grants support research in its initial stages. The grants enable the development of new research questions, as well as experimentation with new methods, theoretical approaches and/or ideas. Funding is provided for short-term research development projects, of up to two years, proposed by individuals or teams;

SSHRC Connection Grants support events and outreach activities geared toward short-term, targeted knowledge mobilization initiatives.

Federal Government Invests $49M in $104M Mineral Exploration Research Program

Federal Government Invests $49M in $104M Mineral Exploration Research Program

Funding is the largest single investment in University’s history.

Laurentian University is launching an unprecedented research effort to help the mineral industry make lower risk exploration investments in Canada and abroad and reverse the current lower discovery rates of new mineral deposits.

 

This seven-year initiative named Metal Earth received a boost of $49,269,000 over seven years from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF).  The announcement was made today by Sudbury Member of Parliament, Paul Lefebvre and Nickel Belt Member of Parliament, Marc Serré on behalf of the Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan. Twenty-two partners from academia, industry and government are providing $55 million in cash and in-kind contributions to this $104 million effort.

 

“Laurentian University is already #1 in Canada in economic geology research funding and among the best in the world,” said Sudbury MP Paul Lefebvre. “We are proud to support Laurentian and its Mineral Exploration Research Centre at the Harquail School of Earth Sciences in becoming the undisputed global leader in mineral exploration research,” added Lefebvre.

 

“This investment will result in increased exploration expenditures and investments in Canada, higher discovery rates, and the development of new mines,” explained Nickel Belt MP Marc Serré. “Findings from Metal Earth will be transferable around the world and position Canada as an authoritative leader in the global quest for metals. It will attract even more talent and partnership opportunities to Sudbury,” said Serré.

 

CFREF helps Canadian postsecondary institutions excel globally in research areas that create long-term economic advantages for Canada. The inaugural competition led to five awards totaling $350 million in 2015. The federal government announced today $900 million to 13 universities out of 51 applicants. Each institution could only submit one application. A third competition is expected to be launched in 2021-22. Funding decisions were made by a high profile selection board following peer review based on scientific merit and demonstrated capacity to lead on an international scale, strategic relevance to Canada, and the quality of the implementation plan.

 

“This is the largest funding announcement in Laurentian’s 56-year history and the largest exploration research program ever undertaken in Canada We thank the federal government for its growing commitment to science and innovation,” said Laurentian University President and Vice-Chancellor Dominic Giroux who pointed out that Laurentian is the only primarily undergraduate university among the 16 competitively-selected universities since the inception of CFREF.

 

Earlier today, Laurentian University also announced a $10 million gift from the Harquail family towards its Department of Earth Sciences which is being renamed as the Harquail School of Earth Sciences. David Harquail is the President and CEO of Franco-Nevada Corporation, a gold-focused royalty company listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges.

 

“This CFREF result is a testament to the excellence of faculty, staff and students at the Harquail School of Earth Sciences and its Mineral Exploration Research Centre,” added Giroux.

 

“Global metal reserves are being depleted due to increased demand and decreased global discovery rates over the past 10 years,” explained Dr. Harold Gibson, Director of the Mineral Exploration Research Centre (MERC) at the Harquail School of Earth Sciences and lead of Metal Earth. “Spending on exploration has increased while discovery rates have decreased. Without a means to discover and extract metals, modern societies will be faced with a crisis that will detrimentally impact social, technological, and industrial development. Canada has untapped mineral deposits,” added Gibson.

 

Metals are a key driver of Canada’s economy: 19.6% of Canada’s exports and 4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Metal Earth will provide industry and government with the new knowledge, highly qualified personnel, protocols, and tools to focus exploration and infrastructure dollars in areas with the highest metal endowment. “Metal Earth is a new approach, it goes beyond traditional research at deposit or district’s scale. It will transform how we explore for metals and our understanding of Earth’s early evolution”, concluded Gibson.

 

Metal Earth will involve researchers from Laurentian and its partner institutions and the recruitment of over 35 post-doctoral fellows, research assistants, technicians and support staff, over 80 graduate and 100 undergraduate students and numerous subcontracts. It will lead to the hiring at Laurentian of a Research Chair in Exploration Targeting and three additional faculty members in Precambrian Geology, Earth Systems Modelling and Exploration Geophysics.

 

Laurentian University’s partners in Metal Earth include the geological surveys of Canada, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, TMAC Resources, the Carnegie Institute, Noront Resources Ltd, the University of Western Australia, Université Laval, the University of Tasmania, the University of Toronto, the Harquail family, the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, the University of Ottawa, Vale, MIRA Geoscience Ltd, the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation and MIRARCO.

About Laurentian University

Laurentian University offers an outstanding university experience in English and French, with a comprehensive approach to Indigenous education.  Laurentian University, situated on the traditional territory of the Anishinabe peoples of Atikameksheng First Nation, prepares students as agents of change and empowers them to create innovative responses to local and global challenges. Laurentian’s students benefit from small class sizes and exceptional post-graduation employment rates.  With nine Canada Research Chairs and eighteen research centres, Laurentian is a recognized leader in its specialized areas of research strength, which include mining innovation and exploration, stressed watershed systems, particle astrophysics and rural and northern children’s health. Laurentian University has secured over $100 million in research income in the past five years. 

Harquail Family Invests $10 Million to Advance Mineral Exploration Research

Harquail Family Invests $10 Million to Advance Mineral Exploration Research

Department of Earth Sciences will now be known as the Harquail School of Earth Sciences

*Photo left to right: James Harquail, Sofia Harquail, David Harquail, Birgitta Sigfridsson, Peter Harquail

David Harquail announced today that his family foundation is making a $10 million investment to support Laurentian University’s Department of Earth Sciences and its Mineral Exploration Research Centre (MERC). The University’s Board of Governors has unanimously decided to honour the Harquail family by renaming the Department of Earth Sciences as the Harquail School of Earth Sciences and associate ongoing MERC efforts with the Harquail name. A celebration of the Harquail family’s generosity will be held in the coming weeks.  

“Laurentian University is already a global leader in mineral exploration research,” explained David Harquail. “This is a step towards making Laurentian the leading centre for mineral exploration research in the world. Laurentian has mining in its DNA with its location next to mines and a cluster of mining related government departments and research agencies on campus. Success will come from the development of new concepts and tools to find the next generation of ore deposits.”

An $8.4 million endowment will be created to support new research chairs, lab equipment and supplies, technical support and scholarships for international PhD students. The balance of $1.6 million will allow for the immediate recruitment of a Research Chair in Exploration Targeting and other support.

“We are immensely grateful to the Harquail family for this transformative gift,” said Dr. Douglas Tinkham, Director of the Harquail School of Earth Sciences. “The mining industry’s exploration efforts are at a low ebb and are focused on the near term.  The university is committed to the longer term science that could lead to new discoveries. This investment helps us to build the capacity to do that science.”

“This research is fundamental because the discovery of ore bodies creates value for all of society,” said Harquail. “Mining companies deliver that value by building and operating the mines.  And that value is shared with all levels of government, the First Nations and the overall economy through the multiplier effect.  None of this can happen without that initial discovery.”

“Canada disproportionately benefits from its entrepreneurial strength in global mineral exploration. Even discoveries outside of Canada contribute to the well-being of Canadians.  Canada’s resource entrepreneurs have been among the most generous philanthropists in this country benefiting many universities, hospitals and other institutions,” added Harquail. 

The Harquail School of Earth Sciences is the fourth school in less than five years renamed in recognition of eight-figure private gifts at Laurentian University from Canadian resource entrepreneurs, following the Bharti School of Engineering, the Goodman School of Mines and the McEwen School of Architecture.

“This investment from the Harquail family is an exceptional gesture of support for our faculty, staff and students in Earth Sciences, and we believe it is also a testament to the momentum and growing national recognition of our university,” said Laurentian President and Vice-Chancellor Dominic Giroux.

 

About the Harquail Family

The Harquail family through its Midas Touch Foundation supports charities, hospitals, education and the arts. It is managed by David Harquail and Birgitta Sigfridsson along with their children, Sofia, James and Peter. Today’s announcement is the largest commitment by the foundation to date. 

David Harquail is President and CEO of Franco-Nevada Corporation, a gold-focused royalty company listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges.  Franco-Nevada has royalty interests on over 260 mineral properties around the world including many in the Sudbury basin and Northern Ontario. The company is a sponsor of the Goodman School of Mines at Laurentian University and Mr. Harquail serves on its global advisory board.

 

About the Harquail School of Earth Sciences

The Harquail School of Earth Sciences and its Mineral Exploration Research Centre (MERC) comprise 14 award-winning faculty 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.

Located on the southern rim of one of the world's largest, oldest, and best-exposed meteorite impact sites, Sudbury’s massive deposits of nickel, copper and platinum group elements provide unique opportunities for mining-related field instruction, co-op education, pure and applied research. The region’s geological environments include Archean volcanic/sedimentary belts, a Proterozoic sedimentary/volcanic belt, Grenville metamorphic terrains, and lower to middle Paleozoic sequences. The School constitutes an unparalleled learning environment in ore deposits, structural geology, geophysics, mineralogy, igneous and metamorphic petrology, sedimentation and stratigraphy, and paleoecology.

 

About Laurentian University

Laurentian University offers an outstanding university experience in English and French, with a comprehensive approach to Indigenous education.  Laurentian University, situated on the traditional territory of the Anishinabe peoples of Atikameksheng First Nation, prepares students as agents of change and empowers them to create innovative responses to local and global challenges. Laurentian’s students benefit from small class sizes and exceptional post-graduation employment rates.  With nine Canada Research Chairs and eighteen research centres, Laurentian is a recognized leader in its specialized areas of research strength, which include mining innovation and exploration, stressed watershed systems, particle astrophysics and rural and northern children’s health. Laurentian University has secured over $100 million in research income in the past five years. 

Laurentian appoints Craig Fowler as Associate Vice-President, Research Partnerships, Innovation and Economic Development

Laurentian appoints Craig Fowler as Associate Vice-President, Research Partnerships, Innovation and Economic Development

Fowler will be responsible for developing new large-scale research collaborations to advance the University’s objectives

MARCH 3, 2016 – Laurentian University is proud to announce that Craig Fowler will assume the role of Associate Vice-President, Research Partnerships, Innovation and Economic Development at Laurentian University.


Mr. Fowler will be responsible for developing new large-scale research collaborations to advance the University’s objectives and foster innovation and economic development in the communities we serve. In its Strategic Plan, Laurentian University has set a goal of increasing total annual funded research from $21.9M in 2010 to $30M by 2017.

 

“We are thrilled by the experience and vision that Craig brings to this portfolio,” said Dr. Rui Wang, Vice-President, Research at Laurentian University.  “Craig’s expertise in bringing together major funding partners in large-scale collaborations, as well as his intimate knowledge of Laurentian, will serve us well in our own research objectives.”

 

Fowler served as Associate Vice-President, Administration and External Relations at Laurentian University since August 2012. Prior to joining Laurentian, Mr. Fowler served in a number of senior roles at the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, including as Director of Scientific and Research Collaborations and as Director of the Research Branch. He led the development of the Ontario Innovation Agenda, and also worked with the Ontario Research and Innovation Council which guided the development of the province’s Research and Innovation support programs. Mr. Fowler directed over $1.5 billion in research and innovation programming, and led Ontario’s international research and innovation outreach activities through several multi-million dollar agreements with China, India, Israel, Catalonia, Illinois and California. He subsequently led the Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services for the Ontario Ministry of Finance, and served as Director of Risk Management at the Pan/Parapan American Games Secretariat.

 

Mr. Fowler completed his undergraduate degree in Urban Planning and his master’s degree in Economic Development at the University of Waterloo. He began his career in economic development with the town of Richmond Hill.

 

“Laurentian has ambitious goals for its research portfolio and I am excited to bring my experience in supporting research and innovation to this new role,” said Mr. Fowler. 

 

Laurentian President and Vice-Chancellor Dominic Giroux announced this appointment at a luncheon of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce which was featuring Paul Davidson, President and CEO of Universities Canada, as guest speaker. During his talk, Davidson highlighted how today’s businesses must be nimble, responsive and visionary in the face of emerging challenges. Partnering with universities helps companies and communities gain this competitive advantage. He spoke about universities' role in providing the skills, new knowledge and innovation Canada needs to compete, open up new markets and get fresh ideas to market faster. He illustrated how higher education is building prosperity through research, innovation and experiential learning, and how the potential of universities can be harnessed to make Canada's businesses, communities and regions stronger.

 

“Craig Fowler’s appointment in this new role of Associate Vice-President, Research Partnerships, Innovation and Economic Development at Laurentian aligns directly with the vision articulated today by Mr. Davidson at the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce. It also echoes the perspectives offered earlier this week by Greg Fergus, Parliamentary Secretary with Canada’s new Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, as he helped launch Laurentian’s 2016 Research Week,” explained Dominic Giroux.

 

Karen Hourtovenko, Chair of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the announcement. “One of the three goals in the Chamber’s 2015-2017 Strategic Plan is to create strong change agents. We want to nurture community champions and foster positive actions for community prosperity. The Chamber is delighted to see Laurentian University once again step up its efforts to enhance partnerships, innovation and economic development, and we look forward to working with Mr. Fowler in his new role”.

 

To view Laurentian University’s 2012-2017 Strategic Research Plan, click the link below

Strategic Research Plan.

Laurentian University Names New Research Director for CRSJP

Laurentian University Names New Research Director for CRSJP

Dr. Carol Kauppi to lead research at Centre for Research in Social Justice and Policy

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015 – Dean of the Faculty of Health and Acting Dean of the Faculty of Education at Laurentian University, Dr. Roger Couture today announced that Dr. Carol Kauppi has been appointed Director of Research at the Centre for Research in Social Justice and Policy (CRSJP).

 

“We are pleased that Dr. Kauppi has been appointed to this position, in recognition of her major contribution to the advancement of social work research here at Laurentian University,” said Dr. Couture. “This full-time research position will enable Carol to fully devote her time to research, to pursue her many current projects across Northern Ontario, and to present her research to groups both within and outside the University.”

 

CRSJP is a Laurentian University research centre committed to the study of social justice and policy, with particular emphasis on rural and northern communities. Its mandate is to conduct interdisciplinary research on population health, social justice and healthcare issues, including homelessness and poverty. The Centre currently manages the six-year research project “Poverty Homelessness and Migration,” led by Dr. Kauppi and funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).  Established in 2009, CRSJP was one of the first university research institutes in Canada to focus on these fields.

 

“I am looking forward to the challenge of advancing and expanding the scope of research conducted through CRSJP, and building on the important work we have accomplished through the Poverty, Homelessness and Migration project,” said Dr. Kauppi.  “We’ve established an excellent foundation, and I am eager to extend our research into the areas of urban renewal, housing and food security.”

 

With its own research staff, CRSJP collaborates with investigators from various academic units at Laurentian University, from the community, with other research centres in Ontario, and with other universities. 

 “The appointment of Dr. Kauppi as Research Director is in line with the University’s Strategic Plan 2012-2017, as the University aspires to research excellence,” said Dr. Rui Wang, Vice-President, Research, Laurentian University. “We look forward to the continuing results of the work being done through CRSJP.”                                           

                                                     

 

Laurentian University researchers secure $1.3M in new funding

Laurentian University researchers secure $1.3M in new funding

Faculty awarded NSERC 2015 Discovery grants

JUNE 22, 2015 – Seven Laurentian University faculty members and three graduate students have won new research grants and scholarships awarded by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). 

 

Total funding awarded to Laurentian University researchers amounts to $1,329,500.

 

The funds are awarded through competition for NSERC’s Discovery Grants, Discovery Accelerator Supplements, Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarships, NSERC Postrgraduate Scholarships and Postdoctoral Fellowships.  The 2015 competition results were announced today at at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa, Ontario.

 

“A key pillar of our government’s updated Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy is ensuring Canada develops, attracts and retains the world’s most talented researchers. Today’s investment in more than 3, 800 researchers at 70 universities across the country ensures Canada has a broad base of talented men and women whose research continues to push the boundaries of knowledge, creates jobs and opportunities while improving the quality of life of Canadians,”  said Canada’s Minister of State (Science and Technology), Ed Holder.

 

 “We are extremely proud of the research profile achieved by our Laurentian faculty and graduate students,” said Laurentian University Vice-President, Research, Dr. Rui Wang.  “Our success in winning NSERC funding is evidence of  the high-calibre research being conducted in Biology, Medicine, Engineering, Earth Sciences and Human Kinetics, and we congratulate all of our award recipients.”

 

Laurentian faculty awarded NSERC Discovery Grants are:

  • Dr. Douglas Boreham, Faculty of Medicine: $170,000 (Biological Mechanisms Induced by Low and Ultra Low doses of Ionizing Radiation)
  • Dr. Thomas Johnston, Department of Biology: $105,000 (Individual specialization and the trophic niche of aquatic consumers)
  • Dr. Daniel Kontak, Department of Earth Sciences: $110,000 (Chemical fingerprinting of hydrothermal ore deposit systems)
  • Dr. Tammy Eger, School of Human Kinetics: $110,000 (Modeling human response to foot-transmitted vibration)
  • Dr. William Lievers, School of Engineering, $110,000 (Measuring and modelling the mechanical and failure behaviour of bone)
  • Dr. Junfeng Zhang, School of Engineering, $22,000 (Blood Flows and Blood-Vessel Interactions in the Microcirculation)
  • Dr. Zhibin Ye, School of Engineering, $200,000 (Developing semicrystalline star polyethylenes and advanced polyethylene ionomers)

 

In addition to his five-year Discovery Grant, Dr. Zhibin Ye was also awarded a Discovery Accelerator Supplement in support of his research, worth $120,000 over three years.

Three graduate students have also won graduate scholarships worth between $21,000 and $35,000 per year:

  • Nicolas Rouleau, three-year Postgraduate Scholarship (Biology)
  • Nirosha Murugan, three-year Postgraduate Scholarship (Biology)
  • James Baxter-Gilbert, three-year Canada Graduate Scholarship (Biology)

University invests in research, technology & graduate expansion

University invests in research, technology & graduate expansion

2015-16 marks fifth consecutive year of balanced budgets at Laurentian

JUNE 19, 2015 – Laurentian University’s Board of Governors today approved a 2015-2016 operating budget of $147.7 million, marking the fifth consecutive year the University has achieved a balanced budget. The budget represents a $7 million increase over last year to fund key areas of priority for the University in capital projects, research, student services, graduate studies and information technology.

 

Budget highlights include:

  • A 42% increase in the budget of the University’s Office of Research Services in 2015-16 that will allow the university to facilitate grant preparation and establish a new online data management system to support research efforts.  Laurentian will also increase support to innovation and the management of intellectual property. “We are strengthening our support for research activities in all disciplines, through the Tri-council leaders program and through strategic matching funds for major grant applications,” said Laurentian University’s Vice-President, Research, Dr. Rui Wang.
  • The budget also provides for increased investments of 12% in graduate studies to support enrolment expansion from 589 students in 2014-15 to 859 in 2018-19.  “We will continue to expand our reach and enhance opportunities in graduate studies,” said Acting Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies, Dr. David Lesbarrères. Programs to be expanded include Master’s programs in Architecture, Geology, Biology and Orthophonie, and PhD programs in Boreal Ecology, Rural and Northern Health, Natural Resource Engineering, and Mineral Deposit Geology, among others.
  • An increased investment in information technology to ensure a progressive IT infrastructure now and for the future.  Improvements consist of higher-speed and robust networking, dense high-speed wireless, an institutional record management system, wireless classroom audio visual and continuation of administrative automation.  These and other upgrades will create a better student and faculty experience. The University’s investments in information technology will increase by 12% in 2015-16, a 70% increase over the past four years.
  • Investments in student services will also increase by 14% in 2015-16. Laurentian will again support continuous learning for its staff with the equivalent of 1% of salaries set aside for professional development. 
  • The 2016 completion of a $115.5 million physical transformation of the Sudbury campus with the renewal of 34 classrooms and five labs, the addition of an Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre, a University Club, an Executive Learning Centre, a world-class Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research lab, improved food services, new one-stop student services, renovations to the Single Student Residence, the new School of Architecture, and increased investments in deferred maintenance projects.

 

“In recent years, we have built a solid foundation to support the university’s aspirations,” said Laurentian University President and Vice-Chancellor Dominic Giroux.  “We are well-positioned to move forward with a balanced and strategically-focused growth plan that responds to the needs of the communities we serve today and in the future.”

 

This marks the ninth consecutive year of declining per-student provincial funding at Laurentian. For the first time, provincial grants constitute less than half of the University’s overall revenues. The Board’s unanimous approval followed a series of seventeen consultation sessions held in April with the Laurentian community in Sudbury and Barrie.

 

For more information about the University or its 2012-2017 Strategic Plan endorsed in a Globe and Mail editorial as “an excellent strategy”, please visit www.laurentian.ca.

 

Summary:

  • 2015-16 budget of $147.7 million, up $7 million over last year;
  • Budget balanced for fifth consecutive year, despite nine consecutive years of declining per-student provincial funding. For the first time, provincial grants constitute less than half of the University’s revenues;
  • Budget increases in 2015-2016 of 42% in the Office of Research Services, 14% in Student Services, 12% in the Faculty of Graduate Studies, 12% in Information Technology;
  • $115.5 million of capital transformation to be completed in Sudbury in 2016;
  • 1% of staff payroll allocated annually to professional development and training;
  • Establishment of a $1 million sustainability green fund: projects will be solicited from university community with main criteria being positive environmental impact and financial payback;
  • Balanced six-year forecast. During that period, major investments planned in deferred maintenance, graduate studies, research, the library and the Faculty of Management to support its international AACSB accreditation. 

Laurentian balances budget for fourth consecutive year

Laurentian balances budget for fourth consecutive year

Budget targets Strategic Plan, Graduate Expansion, Research and Barrie Campus

JUNE 20, 2014 – Laurentian University’s Board of Governors today approved a 2014-2015 operating budget of $141.2M, marking the fourth consecutive year the University has achieved a balanced budget. The Board’s unanimous approval followed a series of sixteen consultation sessions with more than 160 people from across the Laurentian community in Sudbury and Barrie. 

“As we enter the third year of our Strategic Plan, we continue to make investments to shape the future of Laurentian University,” said Laurentian University President and Vice-Chancellor Dominic Giroux. “Despite increasing funding pressures, Laurentian has sustained investments to support the University’s aspirations. We thank those who took part in the consultation process for their contributions in helping us to achieve this goal.” 

The new Faculty of Graduate Studies is part of an ambitious graduate expansion implementation plan requested by the University’s Board of Governors to meet regional needs, nearly doubling domestic graduate enrolment between 2011 and 2018. This will include an increase in Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA). Fall 2014 master’s program applications have increased by 71%. 

Upcoming faculty appointments will include new research chairs in Cancer, Occupational Health and Safety, Sustainable Northern Development, Indigenous Relations and Governance, and Histoire franco-ontarienne. 


Other budget highlights include: 

  • Budget increase of $4.3M or 3.1% over 2013; 
  • $41.9M to support strategic plan outcomes from 2012-2020; 
  • School of Architecture Phase II on track, on budget; 
  • $44.6M to modernize the Sudbury campus including a University Club, an Executive Learning Centre and an Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre (partially supported by donations from Glencore and RBC); 
  • $25M commitment, up from $14M, to open a new satellite campus in Barrie; 
  • Great Hall on Sudbury campus under renovation and scheduled to re-open in September 2014 as Fresh Food Company; 
  • Completion of the rehabilitation of the Single Student Residence on the Sudbury campus; 
  • $3.3M in additional investments to support research through 2020; 
  • Stable faculty and staff complement; 
  • New Faculty of Health, new Faculty of Education, new Faculty of Graduate Studies, new School of Environment; 
  • New master’s programs in Indigenous Relations and Sciences infirmières;
  • $536K increase to support growth in the award-winning Bharti School of Engineering. 


“Our focus has always been to deliver an outstanding student experience,” said Carol McAulay, Vice President, Administration at Laurentian. “This budget backs that commitment and keeps us on track to deliver the 40 outcomes outlined in our Strategic Plan.” 


2013-14 Accomplishments include: 

  • School of Architecture welcomed first class of 68 students in September 2013; 
  • Centre for Academic Excellence well-established and supporting both pedagogy and student success; 
  • One-stop student service model developed and implemented. Centralized physical space will be reflected in Campus modernization capital plan; 
  • New food service outlets introduced (East Bistro, Starbucks, Subway); 
  • Re-introduction of men’s varsity hockey and introduction of women’s; 
  • New website launched: www.laurentian.ca ; 
  • Faculty of Management on its way to secure two prestigious international accreditations; 
  • Average entry grade reached 81%; 
  • Sudbury Campus is 100% wireless; 
  • Certificate of Bilingualism awarded growing number of students; 
  • Nine new Indigenous faculty members; 
  • 1% of payroll allocated to departments for staff training. 

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