Another academic year is upon us and while the campuses are never quiet during the summer, come September it is obvious what the main mission of the University is.  The vitality of new and returning students is the essential ingredient of the special learning environment afforded by any university and Lakehead is no exception.

Much transpired this summer. Groundbreaking for the first academic building at the permanent Orillia Campus occurred.  In addition to the support from the City of Orillia and Simcoe County, the federal government has committed $13M to the project.  Student enrolment in Orillia has met its target of 700 FTE which is good news for Thunder Bay as well.  It means overall our budget target for 2009-10 will be achieved.

Lakehead celebrated the groundbreaking for the Orillia Campus in June 2009 with community members and donors as well as students, faculty, staff, alumni volunteers, and senior administration. Then on September 4, The Honorable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, announced that the federal government was investing $13M in the Orillia Campus through its Knowledge Infrastructure Program.

 

"Lakehead University and citizens of the City of Orillia and Simcoe County thank the federal government for this significant commitment to the permanent Orillia Campus," said Dr. Fred Gilbert, President of Lakehead University at a media conference in Orillia. "This far-sighted contribution to the well-being of the people of Central Ontario will support Canada's first LEED Platinum university campus, which will become a hallmark of sustainable and ecologically sensitive development and a centre of research and learning in the environmental sciences."

EllisDon Corporation, one of Canada's largest builders of non-residential construction, has been awarded the contract for the construction of the academic building. In business for more than 55 years, and with 40 LEED-accredited professionals on staff, EllisDon is a highly reputable company with a commitment to constructing environmentally sustainable buildings. Construction of the $45-million academic building began in the summer. The 80,000-square-foot facility will be able to accommodate up to 1,200 students and is the first of three buildings that will open in September 2010. Work on the 250-bed residence and food services building is still in the pre-construction phase.

Lakehead University Orillia Campus will be the first university campus in North America built to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum standard, meaning it will be a model for long-term environmental sustainability.

"Our students will study in an environment built to the highest levels of environmental accountability," says Dr. Kim Fedderson, Orillia Campus Dean. "Lakehead University is committed to student-centred learning and high-quality research, and is sincere in its desire to help students realize their potential. Our state-of-the-art facility, interdisciplinary studies, and commitment to environmental excellence will position our students well to become leaders and independent critical thinkers who are aware of their social and environmental responsibilities to society."

Local municipal governments have also shown their commitment to the development of Lakehead University's permanent campus in Orillia, with the City of Orillia donating $10 million in land, infrastructure, and money, and the County of Simcoe making an initial contribution of $500,000 to the Your Bright Future capital campaign.

 

Representatives from Lakehead University and Confederation College announced on August 19, 2009, that the Collaborative Nursing Program curriculum has received national accreditation from the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN). 

CASN accreditation promotes excellence in nursing education programs and is the national accrediting body for nursing education in Canada. The purpose of accreditation is to encourage excellence in nursing education according to fundamental qualities and standards established by academic nursing to best meet the need of the Canadian population for nursing health care.

"This seven-year accreditation is a true indicator of the quality of our nursing programs and our graduates," says Karen Poole, Director of Lakehead University's School of Nursing. "It is the culmination of a lengthy process including a self-study report and week-long site visit by a team of Canadian nurse educators. So many people contributed to this outstanding result -- the nursing faculty from both Lakehead University and Confederation College, our clinical partners, our students and graduates."

The collaborative BScN program is a four-year baccalaureate nursing degree program delivered by two partner institutions, Lakehead University and Confederation College. The nursing theory, lab, and clinical courses are delivered equally at both sites by nursing faculty from each institution, while the non-nursing and elective course, are delivered by Lakehead University faculty at Lakehead's campus.

Judi Maundrell, Vice-President Academic at Confederation College, emphasized the importance of the accreditation in recognizing the exceptional collaborative effort of both educational institutions.  "Accreditation is recognized worldwide as an important, objective method to review professional education programs to identify strengths, vulnerabilities, and opportunities for improvement. The Collaborative Nursing Program is truly a success story and one that is now recognized and endorsed by the CASN," says Maundrell.  "This, of course, is due in large part to the hard work and dedication by faculty and administration of both schools and the commitment to making the program work."

The collaborative BScN program offers the advantage of two institutions with a rich history in nursing education.  Students are exposed to nursing faculty with expertise in the broad scope of nursing practice, who work together to offer students the latest theoretical and practical aspects in nursing.   The three-year Compressed BScN program at Lakehead University was also awarded the maximum seven-year accreditation, and the pilot Community Based/Regional Nursing Program has achieved the first stage towards accreditation.

The Collaborative Nursing Program saw its first graduates in 2006. There are 391 students currently enrolled in the Collaborative BSc Nursing program.

Eight Lakehead researchers have received NSERC Discovery Grants totaling over $1M to support research projects over a five-year time period. These projects cover diverse areas of study, including forestry, food pathogens, and mass transfer applications. The new grants for Canada’s top researchers are through the Discovery Grants Program (DGP), administered by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

Two recent independent reviews concluded that the Discovery Grants Program is the envy of research communities in many other nations. As NSERC's flagship program, Discovery Grants support ongoing, long-term university-based research. These grants recognize the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of all research advances.

Dr. Ehsan Atoofian, Department of Electrical Engineering – "Power and performance optimization techniques for multi-core processors"
Grant: $125,000

Dr. Han Chen, Faculty of Forestry and the Forest Environment – "Productivity, carbon sequestration, and diversity of the central boreal forest in changing environments"
Grant: $170,000

Dr. Deli Li, Department of Mathematics Sciences – "Probability Limit Theorems and Statistical Applications"
Grant: $142,500

Dr. Azim Mallik, Department of Biology – "Habitat filter, priority effect, and ecological engineering (feedbacks) of dominant species in post-fire succession"
Grant: $120,000

Dr. Inderjit Nirdosh, Department of Chemical Engineering – "Solid-liquid mass transfer applications"
Grant: $100,000

Dr. Heidi Schraft, Department of Biology – "Biofilm formation by food borne microorganisms"
Grant: $155,000

Dr. Adam Van Tuyl, Department of Mathematics and Statistics – "Using commutative algebra to investigate problems in graph theory and algebraic geometry"
Grant: $90,000

Dr. Nam Yu, Department of Electrical Engineering – "Pseudorandom sequences and error correcting codes for future wireless communications"
Grant: $140,000

Marie Ferguson says she was “truly honoured” to be the 2009 recipient of the Lakehead University Staff Award.

As an Administrative Assistant in Physical Plant and a member of the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union, it is Ferguson’s job to answer all the telephone calls that come when something needs doing.  Need a set up in the Agora? Call Marie. Need the sidewalks sanded? Call Marie? Light bulbs? Garbage pick-up? New locks? You guessed it. Call Marie Ferguson.

“Marie is the public face and voice of Physical Plant,” says Director of Physical Plant Hugh Briggs.  “She has a firm grasp on the areas that make up our workplace and can marshal all the right resources to get jobs done. Marie has a unique way of dealing with people that just puts them at ease, and we are grateful on a daily basis that she came to work for us.”

Ferguson grew up in Wawa, Ontario, and moved to Thunder Bay with her three young children after her husband was killed in a mining accident. Her children have grown now, leaving Marie more time to spend exercising with her walking buddy in and around Current River.

This past May, Ferguson marked 20 years of service as a Lakehead University employee. And she is the first woman to be awarded the prestigious Lakehead University Award to Staff for Outstanding Performance and/Contribution since the annual award was first given out in 2002.

Her first full-time job at Lakehead was in the Alumni Bookstore where she spent nine-and-a-half years. Then she moved to Switchboard where she spent over seven years before joining Physical Plant in 2004.

“It took me some time to get used to not working in a high-traffic area,” says Ferguson, referring to her current office, located in the Avila Centre.  There, in addition to answering telephone calls, she processes purchase requisitions and invoices using Datatel, and generally keeps up with the ever-increasing demands on campus.

Good job Marie!

“The joy of helping means a lot,” says Bassie Kargbo.

When he and his partner Miriam are not looking after their three young children, they are busy raising funds to build a junior high school back home in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Helping them are Dr. Douglas Thom (Education) and Janine Pintar, a second-year BSc student. LUSU has donated nine computers which are currently in storage and expected to be shipped out soon, courtesy of Erb Transport, Air Canada, and BMI.
 
To date the “Friends of Mabureh” have raised approximately $10,000 that has paid for a modest three-classroom structure made of bricks that will house about 200 students aged 12 to 15. The school is located in Mabureh, about a mile from Waterloo, a small community about 19 km from the capital city of Freetown.

“People don’t realize that Sierra Leone experienced a bloody 10-year civil war that officially ended in 2001,” says Kargbo. “There are simply not enough schools in Mabureh; the nearest one is in Waterloo but can’t accommodate children within the community.  Children, many of them orphans, can’t afford to go to Freetown for school and have no means of getting there.”

Kargbo, a psychology student, knows first-hand the horror of war and the displacement it brings. He came to Canada four years ago with his young family and his siblings through the Sleeping Giant Refugee Sponsorship Group. Its chairperson, Willa Jones, attests to Bassie Kargbo’s leadership and drive, saying he is an extremely sensitive and responsible man with a lot of insight as to what needs to be done to accomplish his goals.

Inspiration, contacts, and encouragement have come from many people in Thunder Bay but especially from Dr. Douglas Thom, founding member of the Global Conscience Circle (GCC)/Cercle de la Conscience Globale (CCG), and from Dr. Charles Conteh, a former member of Lakehead’s Department of Political Science, now teaching at Brock University.

If you would like more information about the Mabureh Project visit www.friendsofmabureh.org or contact Bassie Kargbo by phone at (807) 621-6500 or by email: bkargbo@friendsofmabureh.org

Friends of Mabureh can now issue tax receipts if donations are directed to First Presbyterian Church, 639 Grey Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7E 2E4, Telephone (807) 623 0717.
E-mail: first@tbaytel.net

Dr. Lori Livingston

The Lakehead University Student Union (LUSU) is proud to announce the appointment of Alex Boulet as its first full-time LUSU Sustainability Commissioner.

Last year, Greg Boyle served part-time as the Sustainability Commissioner. It was largely through his efforts, and those of the former LUSU executive, that LUSU was successful in securing a grant from the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, and Forestry to fund a full-time position.

Having a full-time Sustainability Commissioner in 2009-2010 will allow for many new volunteer initiatives on campus, along with programming dedicated to social and environmental awareness and action.

Dave Grad: What are the job duties of Lakehead's first full-time Sustainability Commissioner Officer?
Alex Boulet: My overriding responsibility is to create a campus culture of sustainability and environmental consciousness. I try to break this down into three areas of responsibility.  Education and action (working with and for students), policy and best practices (improving the way LUSU does business), and capacity building (making sure that the projects we undertake improve our position as a community well into the future).
 
DG: What do you hope to accomplish in 2009-2010?
AB: It’s easy to forget that behind all the green buzz, there are people making choices, and that the people of our community have an important role to play. Sustainability is a tough thing around which to build consensus, and if you have no consensus then you have no vision to work towards. So, this year is about building community and facilitating the development of a community vision for sustainability. By allowing students and faculty to draw their own map, not only will LUSU be successful in encouraging participation and action in the short term, we will also be promoting a sense of pride and ownership for the vision that is necessary to make something that goes the distance.
 
DG: How has your training and background prepared you for taking on this position?
AB: Having lived on a farm in southern Ontario and attended school in a big city (London, Ontario), I believe I have an understanding of the many realities of living in Canada -- a cold climate, a diverse population, and a lot of questions. My focus is socio-cultural anthropology. It deals with people, culture, and the worldviews that underpin the choices we make. More importantly, there is an approach within anthropology that allows us to deal with the more complex issues of life that are not so cut and dry. This is important when you are grappling with tough questions around climate change or value systems or human nature.

DG: How will you measure your success?
AB: When it comes to sustainability there are a lot of ways to measure success: measuring energy and water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, financial and alternative savings, and so on. However, this year, since our primary objective is to build community, the most important measure of our success will be participation by students, faculty, and the community as a whole.

Lakehead Athletics completed its search for a new Thunderwolves varsity wrestling coach this July in hiring Brock Curtis, a familiar figure in the Lakehead and Thunder Bay wrestling communities.

Curtis, a Thunder Bay native, will lead both the Thunderwolves men’s and women’s wrestling teams. He replaces former Head Coach Owen Dawkins. Dawkins, who served as Wolves head coach from 2005-2009, will take on the head coaching job at the University of Alberta.

Curtis returns to accept the head coaching position at Lakehead, where he was an Assistant Coach under Francis Clayton (2004-05), and Owen Dawkins (2005-06). He was also a member of the Thunderwolves wrestling squad from 1999-2003. “I am very excited to lead this team and to be a part of this honoured wrestling program at Lakehead University,” he says. “I see this as a great responsibility and challenge to keep the team at its elite level and to achieve that CIS Team Champion title we've been so close to.”

A NCCP certified coach, Curtis has 12 years' worth of coaching experience at the collegiate, secondary/elementary school, and grassroots levels in both Canada and Turkey. The Lakehead graduate completed his BA (General Arts) in 2002, and his Bachelor of Education in 2003. As an athlete, Curtis earned a CIS silver medal in 2002 (68 kg). He was named a CIS All-Canadian, was the recipient of the Fair Play Award, and earned Lakehead MVP honours that same season. Curtis was the Wolves' Most Improved Wrestler during the 2000 season.

Lakehead University Athletics Director Tom Warden sees the addition of Curtis as a great move for the Thunderwolves wrestling programs. "Lakehead Athletics is happy to have Brock back as part of our Thunderwolves team. Brock is dedicated to the sport of wrestling and will be a great Head Coach and leader for our program for years to come."

Lakehead University and the Centre for Tourism and Community Development Research joined forces to bring researchers from all over the world to Northwestern Ontario to discuss lake tourism. The five-day conference held in June 2009 attracted delegates from Canada, the U.S., Russia, New Zealand, South America, Africa, and Europe. They congregated at the Lakehead campus to discuss wide-ranging topics including sustainable development, rural and community development tourism, lake tourism and protected areas, and building local capacity for indigenous tourism.

 

The conference theme "Making Lake Conservation Work for Communities – AND – for Lakes" focused participants presentations and discussions on the challenges and opportunities of sustainable management of lake tourism. Conference events included a one-day field trip to the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area and Lake Helen First Nations community and a one-day workshop at the Red Rock Inn involving researchers, Parks Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, civic leaders, politicians, and members of the community.

The conference was organized by Dr. Norman McIntyre (School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks, and Tourism) with assistance from his ORPT colleagues Dr. Ronda Koster and Dr. Harvey Lemelin, along with Dr. Mehdi Zahaf (Business Administration), the Centre’s research assistant Maegen Lavallee, and graduate students from the MES program.  It was supported by grants from SSHRC, Parks Canada, Lakehead University Centre for Northern Studies, Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, and the communities of Nipigon, Lake Helen, and Red Rock.

 

LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY CENTRE FOR TOURISM AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH

The mission of the Lakehead University Centre for Tourism and Community Development Research (CTCDR) is to promote balanced sustainable development in cooperation with communities and partners through involvement in interdisciplinary research, community education, and consultancy services. To this end, the CTCDR seeks to:

• respond to and liaise with members of communities and regions serviced by Lakehead University (Thunder Bay and Orillia campuses)
• develop projects and solutions based on identified community needs
• respond to challenges and opportunities by facilitating processes to address, implement and monitor research, and
• identify and foster regional, national and international partnerships of interest that contribute to better understanding and implementing social, environmental and economic sustainability in small communities.

This Centre focuses on the research and education needs of smaller communities. The approach to its research and activities is interdisciplinary, reflecting the complex social, environmental, and economic issues facing the communities in our region. To facilitate the achievement of the Centre’s mission, it seeks to operate as a ‘store front’ for communities to access the collective expertise of the University faculty associated with the Research Centre. The Centre also aims to contribute to the mission of Lakehead University as an accessible and accountable comprehensive university committed to excellence in faculty, graduate, and undergraduate research within the region, nation, and beyond.

Dr. Anna Guttman initially started her education as a Biology major; however, she quickly realized she enjoyed her English classes more and has not looked back since.  “I’ve always loved to read, but I only really started to enjoy studying English in University.  I discovered that I enjoyed reading much more than going to biology lectures and that my English professors were always so enthusiastic about their subjects and that I had much more fun attending those classes.”  Dr. Guttman’s education has taken her to many different places; she completed her BA at McGill University, her MA at the University of Toronto, and her PhD at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom.  In terms of her research, her primary area field of study has been postcolonial literature with a focus on South Asia.   Her past research has focused on cultural diversity in South Asian literature and her current research involves studying Jewishness within a similar context.

When speaking with Dr.Guttman, the passion she has for her research is readily apparent.  “During my education, I felt that the books I studied tended to point towards an English (meaning England) history and I did not feel that was a history that I identified with.  I was very interested in exploring the idea of cultural diversity and what it means to be a part of a society and finding an identity. Generally, living in Canada, we compare ourselves to the United States and I found myself wanting to look at these concepts through a more global perspective.”  When looking at India, Dr. Guttman found that there were many interesting parallels between Canada and India in terms of multiple provinces, the infrastructure of the political system, and the variety of official languages and decided to focus her research on exploring multiculturalism from that perspective. 

Currently, Dr. Guttman is studying the presence of Jews and Judaism within South Asian literature, a topic which evolved from her past work.  “I realized that in a lot of the writing I was looking at during my earlier research there were several Jewish characters which is interesting because Jewish people are a minute part of the ethnicity of India. Consequently, I became curious as to why people are so fascinated with Jewish culture and why writers like Salmon Rushdie and Vikram Seth are so interested in talking about Jews.  Dr. Guttman plans to focus on this project for the next three years. 
   
Dr. Guttman’s research is highly regarded within scholarly communities.  She was recently awarded a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Grant to help fund her current research, which is reflective of the high quality of her work.  Her book, The Nation of India in Contemporary Indian Literature (available at the Lakehead University Library), has been described as, “convincing, sometimes surprising and forward-thinking, committed to unravelling the complexities of India as a nation (The Year’s Work in English Studies, 2009).  In addition, through her teaching, Dr. Guttman has been able to add some diversity to the courses available through the English department by developing courses dealing with South Asian literature, African literature, and Globalization.  
   
Clearly, Dr. Anna Guttman is a valuable presence within the university community and her past, present, and future research will undoubtedly make her a prominent figure in the fields of post-colonial literature and South Asian literature. 

Nicole MacArthur is one of several Lakehead students taking part in SPARK – Lakehead, a student writing program sponsored by The Chronicle-Journal.

Contribution to Research Awards

Congratulations to three recipients of Lakehead University’s Contribution to Research Awards for 2009:
 
Dr. Rachid Benlamri, Department of Software Engineering
Dr. Nikola Gradojevic, Faculty of Business Administration
Dr. Frederick Holmes, Department of English

FedNor Funds Green Economy Research

Lakehead University has received $391,820 from the Community Adjustment Fund (CAF) to hire three technicians in soils, biorefining, and materials science, areas that are key to the development of new products and services based on the natural resources of Northwestern Ontario.  A fourth individual will be hired to develop and market these new capabilities.  The Co-Principal Investigators, Dr. Nancy Luckai (Forestry), Al Mackenzie (LUCAS), Dr. Robert Dekker (BRI), Dr. Lionel Catalan (Chemical Engineering), and Dr. Robert Mitchell (Geology), have a tradition of working with industry and government in sustainable resource management.  The announcement was made by Greg Rickford, Member of Parliament for Kenora, on behalf of The Honorable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for FedNor, during a media conference at the Thunder Bay Campus on August 26, 2009.

Pfizer Senior Scientist Award

Dr. Rui Wang is the 2008 recipient of the prestigious Canadian Society of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (CSPT) Pfizer Senior Scientist Award. The Pfizer Award is the highest award the CSPT gives to a basic research scientist in Canada, and is given for significant contributions to the advancement and extension of knowledge in the field. 

Dr. Wang is the President of Canadian Physiological Society, a member of the Advisory Board for Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory health of CIHR, Chairman of the International Society of Biopharmacology and Biotechnology, and a member of the International Advisory Committee for Cardiovascular Research Program at Singapore National University. Dr. Wang has served many Canadian research funding agencies as well as more than 15 international research funding agencies, including those from USA, Singapore, New Zealand, Austria, UK, China, and Hong Kong.

Rookie of the Year

Lakehead’s first entry to the international Formula-1 SAE® competition, held at the Michigan International Speedway last May, won the Rookie of the Year Award and placed 43rd overall.  The concept behind the event is that a fictional manufacturing company has contracted a design team to develop a small Formula-style race car. Each student team designs, builds, and tests a prototype based on a series of rules whose purpose is both to ensure onsite event operations and promote clever problem solving.

This year's competition featured a total of 120 teams registered from Europe, Asia, South America, and North America.

Shad Valley

Lakehead University once again hosted some of the brightest young minds during Shad Valley 2009. This past summer, the University welcomed 65 students from as far away as Germany, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia.

Shad Valley puts high school students through a rigorous academic program with a focus on Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Information Technology, Medicine, and Science. During the month-long program, students attend presentations on various topics, participate in workshops, and complete projects in different areas.

This year's Shad Valley theme "Looking to Nature and Natural Fibres" challenged participants to find an innovative way to use natural fibres: through first use (manufacture with new materials), repurposing (reuse of existing material in a new manner), recycling (creating new product from old), and retirement (converting existing natural fibre materials to a final use).

Lakehead University has participated in the Shad Valley program since 1999.

Alumni Golf Tournament raises $32,000 for Scholarships

Thirty-seven teams of four took part in Lakehead's Annual Alumni Golf Tournament held at Whitewater Golf Course in Thunder Bay on August 11. The event raised $32,000 for student scholarships.

Aboriginal Alumni Chapter Launched

Lakehead has launched an Aboriginal Alumni Chapter to connect Lakehead University graduates with each other, and with Lakehead University.

"The Aboriginal Alumni Chapter is a great opportunity for Aboriginal graduates to keep in touch with Lakehead University," says Richard Longtin, Manager of Alumni Relations. "Eventually, an outreach program will be developed to link Aboriginal alumni with others who are interested in pursuing post-secondary educational opportunities and/or specific careers.”

Vice-Provost (Aboriginal Initiatives) Beverly Sabourin says she is excited and pleased that this new initiative is being launched, adding that, "Aboriginal graduates are among Lakehead's greatest resources. They are allies, mentors, and ambassadors who can encourage and promote higher education."
Website: www.lakeheadualumni.ca

H1N1 Flu

Lakehead University is continuously monitoring the status of, and preparing for, the pandemic H1N1 ("Swine Flu") influenza. 

“According to the information provided by the Canadian health authorities, there is no need to take other than routine measures for ‘flu prevention at this time,” says Millo Shaw, Lakehead’s Director of Risk Management and Access to Information.

Webpages have been added to the Lakehead University website to keep the Lakehead community informed of the pandemic, including links to district health units in Ontario.

Professor Douglas Alexander

Douglas Hamilton Alexander passed away on June 24, 2009. Born April 15, 1931, in Montreal, he grew up in Oakville, Ontario, and later attended The University of Western Ontario where he graduated with an MBA in 1954. There he played varsity football and was on the varsity swimming team. He swam for Canada in the British Empire and Commonwealth Games of 1954.
Alexander joined Lakehead University in 1966.  He was one of the founders of the Faculty of Business Administration.  He spent most of his career teaching at Lakehead University in the Faculty of Business. He loved teaching and was committed to his students. Many lasting friendships grew out of this experience.

A lover of the great outdoors, Alexander passed on this love to his children. Hunting and fishing were his passions and these interests led to a fly-in hunting and fishing business venture. He also did consulting work in many remote northern communities.

Alexander is lovingly remembered by his wife Lois, their children, grandchildren, and their extended families. A celebration of Doug’s life was held on Monday, June 29, at St. Paul's United Church. Online condolences were made through www.nwfainc.com and donations to the Alzheimer Society, Parkinson’s Society, or Ducks Unlimited may be made in his memory. -- Submitted by staff in the Faculty of Business Administration

Professor Kenneth (K.C.A.) Dawson

Kenneth Cephus Arnold (K.C.A.) Dawson, one of the foremost archaeologists in Northwestern Ontario and the eastern Boreal Forest in general, passed away on Friday, July 24, 2009.

Professor Dawson directed some of the largest archaeological research projects in the Boreal Forest, and in 1968 he initiated the excavation of Fort William to provide basic data for the reconstruction of Old Fort William, an important heritage tourism attraction in Thunder Bay. In May 2009, Dawson’s many achievements were recognized formally at the Canadian Archaeological Association Meeting held in Thunder Bay with a session entitled Papers in Honour of K.C.A. Dawson: Northwestern Ontario and the Canadian Boreal Forest. Thirteen presenters participated in the session, and an edited volume in his honor is in development.

Professor Dawson was raised in southern Ontario and schooled in Toronto. After serving overseas in the RCAF during the Second World War, Dawson completed his Master's degree in Anthropology at the University of Toronto in 1951. During the 1950s, he worked with several prominent archaeologists including James V. Wright and Walter A. Kenyon.

In 1965, Dawson joined the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Lakehead University as an Assistant Professor and immediately began archaeological fieldwork in Northwestern Ontario. Particularly significant for Subarctic Ontario archaeology were his reconnaissance surveys in Lake Nipigon and along the Albany River. Most of his works continue to be read and referenced as an integral part of Canadian Boreal Forest archaeology. His recent works include a reminiscent overview about pioneering Boreal Forest archaeologists and a 2004 monograph that reviews 19th century interactions between Aboriginal and Euro-Canadian populations in Northwestern Ontario.

During the late 1960s, Dawson led the development of the Department of Anthropology with the 1973 appointment of Professors M.H. Greenwood and T. Kreps, (with K.C.A. Dawson as Department Chair). In 1976, Dawson achieved a second major initiative by establishing the Lakehead University Native Studies Programme within the Department of Anthropology.

In addition to his primary academic post, Dawson served on a number of committees and organizations within Lakehead University including appointment as Director of the Lakehead University Centre for Regional Development in 1981 and membership in the Lakehead University Senate. Professor Dawson was also a founding member of the Canadian Archaeological Association in 1968, the Society for Historical Archaeology in 1967, and the Canadian Rock Art Research Association. He sat on numerous committees and boards ranging from the Ontario Archaeological and Historic Sites Board to the Board of Directors of the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society. Professor Dawson also served on the editorial boards for the journals Man in the Northeast and Multiculturalism.

Professor Dawson retired from Lakehead University in 1988 and continued to live in Thunder Bay with his wife Mary Jean Robinson until his death. -- Submitted by staff in the Department of Anthropology