Lakehead University launched its online 2022 Report to the Community “Champions of Change” website today, featuring stories that celebrate inspirational achievements by students, alumni, researchers, and donors.
“Our 2022 Report to the Community honours champions of change – those individuals who have helped Lakehead become the highest-ranked university in the world with under 10,000 students in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings,” said Dr. Moira McPherson, Lakehead University’s President and Vice-Chancellor.
The Impact Rankings measure the societal impact of universities by evaluating an institution’s success in delivering the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
In 2022, Lakehead is ranked as one of the top universities in the world contributing to poverty reduction, elimination of hunger, reduced inequalities, good health and well-being, and to peace, justice, and strong institutions.
Lakehead is 64th out of 1,406 universities from around the world, based on the University’s performance in meeting the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We invite our students, alumni, employees, and friends around the world to experience our online annual report and to join us in celebrating what we have achieved together,” Dr. McPherson added.
Lakehead’s annual report can be found at lakeheadu.ca/championsofchange. It features the University’s various impacts on the regions around its Orillia and Thunder Bay campuses, and highlights the achievements of students, faculty, alumni, and donors from around the world.
The report celebrates several milestones, including being in the top half of the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, and the University’s annual financial impact of $3.6 billion on Ontario’s gross domestic product.
The annual economic impact of Lakehead’s Thunder Bay campus on the province was approximately $1.7 billion, while its Orillia campus contributed $245.7 million.
Lakehead’s annual economic impact on Northwestern Ontario was $2.1 billion.
Some of the Champions of Change include researchers Dr. Thamara Laredo and Tristen Brown; students Wade Treslove and Aria Kamal; alumni Sandy Falcon and Brian Adams; and donors Bell Canada and the Invasive Species Centre.
Dr. Laredo is an Assistant Professor in Chemistry at Lakehead Orillia who is part of a research team developing sustainable, plant-based versions of foods like meat and cheese, with help from researchers at the University of Guelph. She is also involved in research to find ways to clean water and soil polluted by the oil extraction process.
Brown is a PhD researcher who is part of a strategic research project to improve housing in Northern Indigenous communities across Canada. He is applying his expertise in civil engineering to address both the poor quality of housing and the housing shortage that these communities often face.
Treslove received a Canada-Africa Innovation Fellowship from Engineers Without Borders to create solutions to plastic pollution in Ghana. He recently completed an electrical engineering degree at Lakehead-Georgian in Barrie.
Kamal recently graduated from the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law. In April 2022, she received the Royal Society of Canada’s inaugural Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella Prize for advancing equality in her community.
Falcon has three degrees from Lakehead including a Master of Arts in Social Justice that she received in 2022. She has taken the lead in important humanitarian work in her community, such as assisting temporary foreign workers in Canada and helping women find jobs and economic security.
Adams earned a Chemical Engineering Technology Diploma, an Honours Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, and a Master of Science in Chemistry – all from Lakehead University.
His electrochemistry training at Lakehead University started him on his path to creating a better battery. With a friend, he founded Salient Energy to create a zinc-ion battery that can be recharged thousands of times.
Bell Let’s Talk announced $1 million in grants to 16 Canadian post-secondary schools, including $100,000 to Lakehead University to assist with Lakehead’s initiative to support students’ mental health.
Bell did this by building individual capacity to sustain well-being and increase the availability and scope of resources accessible to students. The initiative includes a mental health screening program, increased training for staff to recognize signs of distress, and more.
The Invasive Species Centre donated to Lakehead Orillia’s Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning programming, specifically the Ontario Youth Naturalist Program. The Centre focuses on protecting Canada’s land and water from invasive species through community science. It is a hub for collaboration and knowledge sharing.
The Report to the Community website highlights how Lakehead is leading innovation and partnerships to create a more resilient, healthy, sustainable, and equitable world.
Visit lakeheadu.ca/championsofchange to view Lakehead University’s 2021-2022 Report to the Community.
