Trent University Ranks Fourth on 2014 List of Research Universities of the Year

Trent places first for intensity and impact of research publications among primarily undergraduate universities ranked by Re$earch Infosource

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Reflecting impressive research and faculty performance across all disciplines, Trent University has been ranked fourth among primarily undergraduate universities in Canada’s Research Universities of the Year for 2014, a national innovation survey released by Re$earch Infosource on Thursday, October 16, 2014 at researchinfosource.com.

Trent ranked number one in its category for “publication intensity” and “publication impact,” and came in second for “number of publications” by primarily undergraduate institutions. Trent also tied for first place with York University for the “highest research impact” by universities without Schools of Medicine or Engineering.

In all rankings, including total sponsored research income and research intensity, Trent was recognized for substantial growth with each area rated higher than its performance in the statistics released in 2013.

“Trent University is extremely pleased with this year’s Re$earch Infosource rankings, where we continue to rank as one of Canada’s most research-intensive universities,” said Dr. Neil Emery, vice president research and international, Trent University. “Of special note is our high ranking for research impact, which shows that our faculty’s research discoveries and results are being heavily referenced by a host of scholars in leading peer-reviewed publications.”

The outstanding research undertaken by faculty at Trent has long been recognized by Re$earch Infosource, among other premier sources, ranking among the top ten research universities of the year for more than 10 years running in the primarily undergraduate category.

Professor Emery emphasizes that Trent’s research excellence and high performance extends across the University’s interdisciplinary programs. “We enjoy a great international reputation for our research in the environment, but our high research citation rate is evident in all our disciplines across the natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities,” he said.  

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Community Welcomed to Meet Nationally-Renowned Authors at Writers Reading Series

Trent University English department hosts weekly series of author readings at Traill College, offering intellectual engagement in relaxed setting

Monday, September 29, 2014, Peterborough, ON

Jane Urquhart, officer of the Order of Canada and Governor General’s Award winner, is just one of eight distinguished members of the Canadian literary scene who will visit Peterborough this fall as part of the 26th annual Writers Reading Series, hosted by Trent University’s department of English Literature.

Beginning on Wednesday, October 1, the free weekly series will bring award-winning and world-class authors to Traill College in downtown Peterborough for literary readings, critical and practical discussions, and casual conversation. All members of the community are invited to take advantage of this opportunity to see, hear, and meet these celebrated writers.

As befits the range and scope of Canada’s literary landscape, the authors featured in the Writers Reading Series represent a wide range of styles and genres, and cover extensive emotional and intellectual ground. The reading events showcase the writers’ talent and stimulating work within a laid-back, humorous environment.

Each of the readings begins at 7:00 PM in the Scott House Junior Common Room at Catharine Parr Traill College, 310 London Street, to be followed by snacks and witty banter at The Trend Pub. The Writers Reading events are part of the Barbara Rooke Lecture Series, and have been made possible with additional support from the Frost Centre for Canadian & Indigenous Studies, the departments of Canadian Studies, English Literature and Cultural Studies, the Public Text program, and the Nind Fund.

Please visit www.trentu.ca/english or www.facebook.com/writersread for more information about the Writers Reading series and for the full listing of events and authors.

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Lewis MacLeod, professor, Department of English Literature, Trent University
(705) 748-1011 ext. 6022 or english@trentu.ca; or,
Patricia Heffernan, administrative assistant, Department of English Literature, Trent University
(705) 748-1011 ext. 7733 or pheffernan@trentu.ca

A Night to Remember: Chancellor’s Gala Starts Trent 50th Anniversary Weekend in Style

Fabulous gala evening, historical parade and ceremony, and one of a kind variety show open to entire community October 17-18, 2014

Monday, September 29, 2014, Peterborough

Building on the momentum that began with the 50th Anniversary Kick Off and Alumni & Friends Reunion Weekend in August, Trent University continues the year of celebrations with a spectacular series of events on October 17 and 18, 2014.

“Trent’s 50th anniversary year provides all of us – community supporters, alumni, students, faculty and staff – with an exciting opportunity to both celebrate our collective accomplishments and build a foundation for the next 50 years of success,” said Dr. Leo Groarke, president and vice-chancellor of Trent University. “I hope to have the opportunity to meet many more members of our community at the many special events taking place in October and throughout the year.”

As part of a year-long celebration taking place over the course of the 2014/15 year, the events on the weekend of October 17-18 honour the exact date of the original opening ceremony of Trent University at Rubidge Hall, Trent’s first home, in 1964. Trent will be re-creating that ceremony with a Community Parade, starting at the corner of Rubidge and Simcoe Streets, welcoming everyone to come out and wear their Trent green. Bring the entire family to this free community event and enjoy live music, children’s activities and special presentations sponsored by the City of Peterborough, one of Trent’s many founding partners.

The weekend will also feature two unique and memorable events, starting with the Chancellor’s Gala, an opportunity to celebrate Trent’s past, present and future with some of the University’s most distinguished alumni and friends, including bestselling author Linwood Barclay ’73, the evening’s Master of Ceremonies, and Chancellor Don Tapscott ’66. The following night, Trent alumni, students, friends and celebrity guests will bring the history of the University to life through “Trent @ 50: In Story & Song,” an original production by Beth McMaster and Gillian Wilson. With clever renditions of iconic songs from the 1960s to the 2000s, Peterborough improv stars the Citiots, and the entertainment debut of Trent’s new president, Dr. Leo Groarke, this special performance at Showplace is one you won’t want to miss.

To learn more about the anniversary celebrations, please visit trentu.ca/fifty and follow @TrentUniversity and #Trentu50 on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Please see below for details and ticket purchase information about the Chancellor’s Gala, Community Parade and Trent @ 50: In Story & Song.

ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND – OCTOBER 17-18, 2014

50th Anniversary Chancellor’s Gala: Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence
Friday, October 17, 2014, 6:00 – 11:00 p.m. – Trent Community Sport and Recreation Centre
Experience a night to remember. Chancellor Don Tapscott ’66 and Master of Ceremonies bestselling author Linwood Barclay ’73 will welcome hundreds of special guests to celebrate Trent’s past, present and future on this milestone occasion. Enjoy dinner and live musical entertainment with the music of “now and then.”
Tickets: $125.00 + applicable taxes, available at trentugala.eventbrite.ca

Community Parade & Celebration
Saturday, October 18, 2014, 1:00 p.m. – Rubidge Street, from Simcoe to Sherbrooke Streets
Everybody loves a parade – and what would a parade be without the whole community? To thank and celebrate Trent’s founding partner, the community, join a re-creation of the original opening ceremonies held 50 years ago. Wear your Trent green, join us at the corner of Rubidge and Simcoe Streets for the parade and stay for the official ceremony in front of Rubidge Hall, Trent’s original home, featuring live music, a plaque unveiling, presentations from community members, kid’s activities and more. After the event, be sure to take your event program to one of the participating restaurants downtown and enjoy an exclusive Trent discount.

Trent @ 50: In Story & Song
Saturday, October 18, 2014, 8:00 p.m. – Showplace Performance Centre
Laugh, cry and be surprised! Re-live Trent University’s first 50 years through this original and entertaining production. For one night only, Trent alumni, students, friends and celebrity guests will bring the history of Trent to life through stories, music and pictures from each remarkable decade. Written by Beth McMaster with new lyrics by Gordon Johnston, and directed by Gillian Wilson.
Tickets: Adults $30 / Students $20, available at trentu.ca/fifty/events or Showplace Box Office 705-742-7469

Reunion & Celebration for the Classes of '64 & '65
Saturday, October 18 – Sunday, October 19, 2014 – Trent University Campus
Members of Trent's first two classes are invited to a reunion reception and buffet dinner at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 18 at the Great Hall at Champlain College. The classes of ’64 and ’65 are also invited to a brunch at 10:30 a.m. hosted by the Trent University Alumni Association and campus tours from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 19. Full event line-up and registration information available at trentu.ca/fifty/events.
Tickets: Reception and Dinner, $60; Alumni Brunch, free

Trent Idea Exchange: Community Lecture Series
September 2014 – April 2015
Join Trent University faculty and visiting experts for stimulating lectures, engaging panels, and interactive discussions on a wide array of subjects throughout the year, sponsored by the Trent University Faculty Association. Community members are welcome to attend lectures in the Peterborough and Durham regions, as well as select events in Toronto and Ottawa. These unique events include the Elaine Stavro Distinguished Visiting Scholar in Theory, Politics & Gender on October 14; the David Morrison Lecture in International Development on October 28; and the Stairs Lecture in Chemistry on November 5.
Tickets: Free; full listings of dates, locations and times at trentu.ca/fifty/events

Fifty Talks for Fifty Years
September 2014 – June 2015
As part of Trent's 50th anniversary celebration in the 2014/15 academic year, the Trent University Faculty Association is organizing a series of 50 talks in local schools. The school-based talks are free, and are designed to give back to the community by sharing ideas and discussion with the next generation. For more information, please visit trentu.ca/50talks.

Ron Thom and the Allied Arts: National Exhibit
Open until Sunday, October 19, 2014 – Alumni House, Trent University
Visit Alumni House to take in this national traveling exhibit of selected art, architecture, and design showcasing the legendary works of Trent University’s master planning architect. Exhibit admission includes self-guided walking tour. Exhibit hours available at trentu.ca/fifty/events.
Admission: Suggested donation of $10 per person

National Survey Shows Outstanding Student Engagement at Trent University

2014 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) results show high ratings from Trent students for quality of learning and interactions with faculty

Tuesday, September 23, 2014, Peterborough, ON

Trent University’s commitment to providing a personal, purposeful and transformative learning experience for students continues to result in student engagement metrics that surpass the provincial average, according to the 2014 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).

Trent first-year students indicated higher engagement levels and rated their educational experience as the same or higher than the average for Ontario in seven of ten categories:

• Higher-Order Learning
• Reflective & Integrative Learning
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Student-Faculty Interaction
• Effective Teaching Practices
• Quality of Interactions
• Supportive Environment

Senior-year students have an even more positive response rate, above the Ontario average in eight of ten categories, including Learning Strategies.

In Reflective & Integrative Learning, both first-year and senior-year Trent students rated their experience higher than the average as compared to competitor institutions. Senior-year Trent students also responded more positively than their peers at competing institutions in Quality of Interactions and Supportive Environment.

“The latest NSSE results confirm what our students, faculty, staff and alumni have been telling us for years: that Trent’s collaborative approach to learning, and how we empower students to take an active role in their own education, is key to their success,” said Dr. Gary Boire, provost and vice president academic, Trent University.

“I am proud to share Trent’s outstanding results in student engagement, demonstrating the University’s well-known strength in providing the faculty interaction and diverse, integrated learning experiences that students look for,” said Dr. Leo Groarke, president and vice chancellor, Trent University.

The NSSE annually collects information at hundreds of four-year colleges and universities across North America about student participation in programs and activities that institutions provide for their learning and personal development.

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Trent University Continuing Education Program Takes On the Internet

Dr. Michael Eamon appointed as new director, announces exciting Technology Learning Series courses for Fall 2014 

Tuesday, September 23, 2014, Peterborough

Trent University’s Continuing Education program takes on the world of the Internet with its Fall 2014 Technology Learning Series of course offerings beginning on Tuesday, October 14.

Technology moves at a fast and exciting pace, with digital and online platforms taking an increasingly crucial role in communication, media, business and education. This fall, Trent will offer eight workshops in a weekly series themed around Modern Technology, designed to share information about what the latest technologies can do for users, what to avoid, and how to enjoy tools such as social media, websites, computers and cell phones.

The Continuing Education courses are open to all community members with an interest in expanding their computer skills to better navigate the digital world.

“Continuing Education is a great way for lifelong learners in the Peterborough area to engage with Trent University,” said Dr. Michael Eamon, principal of Trent’s Catharine Parr Traill College and newly-appointed director of Continuing Education. “This year we are revisiting our course offerings and fee structures to bring the public great non-credit courses that will enlighten, entertain and even challenge the way you think.”

Trent’s Continuing Education program aims to bring the joy of life-long learning to the entire community, providing a range of courses to individuals of all ages; no prerequisites are required. The Technology Learning Series was developed and sponsored by Trent’s Computing and Information Science Department. In January 2015, Prof. Eamon plans to launch an expanded program with a new selection of community-oriented courses that reflect the interests of Peterborough area residents.

All courses for Fall 2014 are offered at Trent University’s Symons Campus, just minutes from downtown Peterborough and accessible via Water Street and Armour Road. For registration and further information about the program, please visit trentu.ca/continuingeducation.

Fall 2014 Continuing Education Courses: Modern Technology

• How to buy a computer
• How to use a computer - Part 1
• How to use a computer - Part 2
• Social Media - Part 1
• Social Media - Part 2
• Security in the Internet
• Cell Phones
• How to Create a Website

Register online at www.trentu.ca/continuingeducation

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For more information, please contact:
Professor Michael Eamon, director, Continuing Education and principal, Traill College
705-748-1011 ex. 6218 or michaeleamon@trentu.ca

Community Welcomed to Installation of Trent University’s 8th President and Vice-Chancellor

Guests from community and other universities to celebrate as Trent Chancellor Dr. Don Tapscott and Board of Governors formally bestow the role of university president upon Dr. Leo Groarke

Tuesday, September 16, 2014, Peterborough, ON

Members of the Peterborough community and beyond are invited to join faculty, staff, students, visiting dignitaries and special guests at a ceremony for the installation of Dr. Leo Groarke as Trent University's 8th president and vice-chancellor on Monday, September 22, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. on the University Court outside of the Bata Library.

Dr. Don Tapscott, Trent chancellor, will welcome guests from the community and representatives of other universities to the ceremony. The Trent Madrigal Choir will sing the anthem and indigenous group Unity will perform the Honour Song. Following the oath of office, administered by Trent Board of Governors chair Bryan Davies, and the investiture of the new president with the robes of office, Dr. Groarke will address the community and share his vision for the future of the University.

The installation ceremony holds significant meaning for Trent University, as it is the moment when the new president is formally endowed with the powers and responsibilities of his or her office. The ceremony will include several symbolic acts and gestures, many of which are derived from traditions at universities the world over that date back almost a thousand years, such as: the wearing of academic regalia; a procession of academic dignitaries; official greetings from special representatives; and bestowing the ceremonial robe of office.

The ceremony will begin with the procession of Trent University faculty, Board of Governors, members of Senate, dignitaries of other universities and community representatives. The members of the procession wear academic regalia, derived from the long robes and cowls worn by monks and students in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The various colours of the gowns worn today represent the degree held by the wearer and the institution awarding it.

Trent’s presidential installation ceremony will also include the Condolence Cane, a gift to the University from the Trent Aboriginal Education Council carved by the late Chief Jake Thomas of the Cayuga Nation, who was also a Trent professor. The cane is a symbolic representation of the governance structure of the Haudenosaunee (People of the Longhouse). For Trent, the Cane represents the academic governing power of the Senate, the interdependent nature of the University community, and the search for knowledge in the interests of justice, equality and peace.

Before joining Trent University, Dr. Groarke was the vice president, academic and provost at the University of Windsor. He pursued graduate work at the University of Calgary where he completed his Master of Arts degree in Philosophy. He completed his Doctor of Philosophy degree at the University of Western Ontario. He has held academic appointments at Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Windsor. Throughout his academic career, he has assumed progressively responsible leadership roles including professor, department chair, assistant dean of program development, dean of Brantford campus, principal and vice president of Brantford campus and provost and vice president academic.

For more information please visit: www.trentu.ca/installation.

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Trent University Launches Bachelor of Social Work Program to High Demand

Interdisciplinary B.S.W. program meets the needs of incoming students and the local communities they will serve

Tuesday, September 16, 2014, Oshawa, ON

Trent University has unveiled a new Bachelor of Social Work program for the Fall 2014 semester, answering the call of both aspiring Social Work students and the local agencies that need them. Over 200 students begin the inaugural four-year program this month at Trent’s campuses in Peterborough and Durham, starting their journey toward making a difference in local communities through clinical knowledge, social justice and the development of critical thinking skills.

The Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) is a true reflection of Trent University’s commitment to social justice, according to program director Dr. Susan Hillock. “The program will focus on the philosophical stance of acting to make change in the world and improving conditions for equality and social changes,” Prof. Hillock said.

Dr. Tara La Rose joins Trent University this fall to spearhead the B.S.W. program at the Durham campus. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in post-secondary education to her new role at Trent, including 12 years of direct social work practice in areas ranging from homelessness to domestic violence. Prof. La Rose’s graduate and doctoral work focused on the professional tradition of community development, and she is excited to bring her expertise to the new B.S.W. program.

“Trent’s commitment to community-based scholarship and experiential education as well as the University’s renowned International Development, Indigenous Studies and Environment Studies programs all tap into a number of emerging trends in social work education and practice,” Prof. La Rose said. “This unique combination of resources suggests Trent has the capacity to deliver a B.S.W. program that will play a significant role in advancing the profession in a number of greatly needed areas.”

The religious, cultural and linguistic diversity in Oshawa offers a depth of experience for social work students. The strong social service sector in Oshawa will serve students well as they undertake hands-on learning with agencies in the area. Social workers currently in the field will assist by serving as teachers, graders and as members of community advisory groups.

In the first two years of the inter-disciplinary program, students study a wide range of Humanities and Social Sciences to gain a solid foundation and self-identify their compatibility with the demanding field. After undergoing an application process, fifty students will continue on to the professional studies component of their degree in third and fourth year. Selected students will complete 700 hours of required clinical placement.

The program is currently open to secondary students who will study Social Work and Social welfare in the first year. Due to a tremendous demand from established social workers already in the field, Trent hopes to expand the program to professionals who are also seeking their Bachelor or Masters of Social Work.

“We have had an amazing number of applications and lots of inquiries from professionals in the community,” said Prof. Hillock.

Please see the program details online at: http://www.trentu.ca/socialwork/

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For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Kate Ingram, government and community relations officer, Trent University Oshawa
905-435-5102 ext. 5022 or kateingram@trentu.ca

Trent University President Hosts Reception for Community Members at Oshawa Campus

Dr. Leo Groarke to give inaugural speech as Trent’s 8th president and vice-chancellor at community gathering

Tuesday, September 9, 2014, Oshawa, ON

Trent University Oshawa welcomes community members to a Community Reception featuring Dr. Leo Groarke’s inaugural speech as Trent’s 8th president and vice-chancellor on Monday, September 15, 2014 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at 55 Thornton Road South.

Joe Muldoon, head of Trent University Oshawa, will introduce President Groarke, whose speech will share his thoughts upon joining Trent University and his vision for the future. Community members are invited to attend for the remarks, followed by an informal reception with refreshments.

Before joining Trent University, Dr. Groarke was the vice president, academic and provost at the University of Windsor. He pursued graduate work at the University of Calgary where he completed his Master of Arts degree in Philosophy. He completed his Doctor of Philosophy degree at the University of Western Ontario. He has held academic appointments at Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Windsor. Throughout his academic career, he has assumed progressively responsible leadership roles including professor, department chair, assistant dean of program development, dean of Brantford campus, principal and vice president of Brantford campus and provost and vice president academic.

Guests are asked to RSVP at trentu.ca/oshawa/reception.

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For more information, please contact:
Kate Ingram, government and community relations officer, Trent University Oshawa
905-435-5102 ext. 5022 or kateingram@trentu.ca

Trent University Featured in “Innovation Zone” at Chamber of Commerce Prosperity Trade Show

Fascinating research, student career development, and community engagement with local businesses to be showcased at Trent booth

Monday, September 8, 2014, Peterborough, ON

Trent University will be a featured organization in the Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster’s “Innovation Zone” at the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s Prosperity Trade Show on Wednesday, September 10, 2014, from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Morrow Building, next to the Peterborough Memorial Centre at 151 Lansdowne Street West.

As Peterborough's largest business-focused event, the show is an opportunity for Trent University to showcase its innovations in teaching, research, student engagement and community outreach. The “Innovation Zone” hosted by the Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster (GPIC) gathers  Peterborough's newest and brightest innovators and entrepreneurs, as well as those who support innovation and entrepreneurship in the community.

Trent University will be well represented at the Prosperity Trade Show by John Knight, manager of Corporate Research Partnerships for the Office of Research; Nataly Woolfrey, director of the internship program for Trent’s Business Administration students; Cammie Jaquays, faculty supervisor for the business internship program and entrepreneurship lecturer at Trent; and Kristi Kerford, director of Trent’s Career Centre for students.

“This year will be the second time that Trent has participated in the Innovation Zone, and it will be a good chance to share what we do with the community and to build our relationships with the business community,” Mr. Knight said. “When you have opportunities for strong business-to-business networking, then you have a strong community.”

Trent University’s booth at the Innovation Zone will offer community members the chance to learn more about fascinating research projects led by faculty and students, many of which are underway in cooperation with local start-up companies at the GPIC’s Cube, located at Trent. Visitors at the Trade Show will also receive information about Trent’s Business Administration program, which provides placements to third-year students at local organizations, and the Career Centre, which has built strong relationships with local businesses.

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For more information please contact:
John Knight, manager, Corporate Research Partnerships, Trent University
705-748-1011 ext. 7374 or johnknight@trentu.ca

Teaching, Research and Student Engagement Point to Successful 2014/15 Year at Trent University

New academic programs, student life initiatives, and 50th anniversary events among highlights for the new school year

Wednesday, September 3, 2014, Peterborough, ON

Introductory Seminar Week (ISW) is underway at Trent University, and students, staff and faculty are preparing for a new academic year to begin on Thursday, September 4, 2014, with more than 2,000 new students, including 150 international students, welcomed to campus.

TRENT INTRODUCES NEW ACADEMIC PROGRAMS FOR 2014-2015:
The educational opportunities offered at Trent University contribute to students’ success after they graduate. 88% of Trent students are employed within six months of graduation, and that rate increases to 92% two years after graduation. New reports from the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) show that Ontario graduates also earn an average salary of $43,000 within their first 6 months in the workforce, increasing to $49,000 after two years. Data also shows that a university experience geared toward developing critical thinking abilities supports civic engagement, with graduates more likely to vote, start a business, donate, and volunteer.

Bachelor of Social Work Program Launches at Trent University Oshawa
The new Bachelor of Social Work program will prepare graduates with the knowledge and skills for meaningful professional practice in a wide range of social work contexts. Through an interdisciplinary curriculum grounded in social justice, human rights and cultural awareness, students will develop a strong foundation of clinical knowledge, critical thinking skills, and social responsibility. Trent also extends a warm welcome to Dr. Tara La Rose, who joins the Social Work program in Oshawa this fall. Prof. La Rose most recently taught at York University’s School of Social Work, and has extensive experience in the field, having worked as a counselor with the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Care Centre at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, and as a child protection social worker with the Peel Children’s Aid Society in Brampton among many other experiences.

A View from the Top:Watch this stunning aerial video of Trent’s beautiful campus, taken using the latest drone camera technology. YouTube.com

Human Resources Certificate Will Help Build the Organizations of the Future
Trent University’s new postgraduate certificate in Human Resource Management begins this month at the Thornton Road Campus in Oshawa. The program provides a university-level focus on human resource skills and encourages students to understand and question the evolving nature of how companies organize and lead people. Faced with constant adaptation to change, businesses today need smart, versatile human resources professionals who can assemble teams and bring out their best. Trent’s postgraduate program is designed to provide professional development that will prepare graduates for career success, especially for students focused on a future of employment in one of Ontario’s most highly-developed economic centres. Oshawa and the Durham Region have a strong manufacturing sector undergoing rapid diversification and a young, skilled labour force poised to lead local and regional organizations into the future.

New Kinesiology Program in Partnership with UOIT
Trent University is collaborating with the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) to deliver a comprehensive new program in Kinesiology, the scientific study of human movement with a focus on prevention of injury and chronic disease. Students will gain the knowledge and skills needed to become a kinesiology practitioner, able to prescribe individualized exercise programs to improve or maintain the health, functional capacity and well-being of a range of healthy and clinical populations. Fourth-year Kinesiology students will have the opportunity to apply for internship opportunities. After completing the program, Kinesiology graduates will be prepared to write the competency exam to become a registered kinesiologist in Ontario’s regulated health profession.

GETTING THEIR HANDS DIRTY: LEARNING BY DOING
Through experiential education and hands-on research opportunities, students are encouraged to get their hands dirty working in the field, alongside their professors. Trent’s internationally-recognized faculty members ask big questions, and work with their students, to find the answers. The following are a few examples of cutting-edge research being undertaken this fall by faculty and graduate students.

How Do Children Develop Math and Language Skills?
Dr. Nancie Im-Bolter, associate professor of Psychology at Trent University Oshawa, is leading a new research project aimed at discovering developmental pathways among language, numeracy and executive function in young children. Along with Dr. Brenda Smith-Chant, Dr. Cathy Bruce and co-investigators at Ryerson University and the University of Toronto, Prof. Im-Bolter received close to $400,000 over four years to study how various skills develop in young children and contribute to their long-term cognitive, language and mathematical abilities. The knowledge gained through the study will help to identify the skills that processes that are critical for language and math success, which will support improved educational assessment and intervention for children at risk for learning difficulties. Both graduate and undergraduate students will have the opportunity to assist Prof. Im-Bolter in practical aspects of the study, providing them with valuable research experience.

Challenging The Way We Think About Food Production
Sinking their hands into the soil of Trent’s groundbreaking Sustainable Agriculture Experimental Farm, professors and students are taking learning to a whole new level. The farm, a 33-acre living laboratory located right on Trent’s Symons Campus, was started by Dr. Mehdi Sharifi, Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Agriculture, and a professor in Trent’s new Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems program. With funding provided by an NSERC Engage grant, Prof. Sharifi and his students work together to cultivate the land and have exceptional hands-on experiences. Currently, they are working to challenge the way we think about the food we eat. “Most conventional agriculture educational programs focus on food production, but the marketing, social and environmental sustainability aspects may be missing,” said Prof. Sharifi. The Trent farm is currently growing two varieties of quinoa, a relatively new crop in Ontario. Prof. Sharifi hopes to find ways of improving organic quinoa production as a sustainable food source, providing supplies for local cafes while teaching his students about the production, social, economic and environmental aspects of the field.

Researching the Most Effective Ways to Teach Math
Dr. Cathy Bruce challenges the way we think about math education. An associate professor in Trent’s School of Education and Professional Learning, Professor Bruce coordinates and instructs the mathematics program, helping teacher candidates better understand math, not only preparing them to teach the subject, but also to really enjoy it. This year, she has also embarked on a new research project, funded by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), aimed at further understanding of the development of children’s spatial reasoning and its role in mathematics learning. Math is a crucial area of learning for young children, yet in Canada, there has been limited research of mathematics education in the early years. With studies showing that math is the best early predictor of student success, Prof. Bruce will research effective teaching strategies to enhance mathematics learning and allow teachers to help their students succeed.

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Academics are just one aspect of the collaborative learning experience at Trent. Outlined below are some examples of innovative student engagement programs, resources and services offered to students at Trent to enrich their undergraduate experience.

Colleges: Providing a Social and Intellectual Home for Students
Trent colleges are an integral part of the student experience, and the University is continuing to expand the events, programs and supports that help new students feel closely connected to their college community. Each of Trent’s colleges welcomes new staff this fall, including a team of four college life facilitators at each of Gzowski, Otonabee, Champlain and Lady Eaton Colleges. The facilitators will assist in ensuring that the colleges are warm and welcoming places for on- and off-campus students, and act as students’ first resource in accessing the many services and opportunities available to them at Trent. This year, more of the college staff are students themselves, including the new college life programmers, who assist students in networking with alumni and faculty.

ISW Welcomes 2,000 New Trent Students to Symons Campus in Peterborough
Introductory Seminar Week (ISW) 2014 runs from Sunday, August 31 to Friday, September 5 and is intended to help new students connect with each other, their interdisciplinary college communities, Trent University as a whole, and with the City of Peterborough. Helping to make ISW 2014 an outstanding experience for new students, almost 200 senior students, faculty and staff dedicate their time and work together to coordinate and run the various dynamic events. Highlights include the Opening Ceremony, featuring a colourful march of students from their respective colleges to Justin Chiu Stadium led by a bag piper; the Trent Carousel, a new event pairing first-year students with student leaders to provide insights on Wellness, Human Rights & Equity, the First Peoples House of Learning, and more; and the new Trent Think Tank, offering students the chance to connect through literature and film and experience a faculty-led seminar before classes begin.

International Students Welcomed Back at TIP Camp
150 new international students from around the world joined 20 upper year international and Canadian Trent students at Trent International Program (TIP) Camp 2014. This long-standing and unique program provides new international students with information to assist them in successfully transitioning to university studies at Trent and life in Peterborough. No other university in Canada does a three-day orientation program of this kind. At Trent, the inclusive environment that every student should experience is made a reality through TIP Camp.

Exploring Diversity Through Trent World Day
Organized by Trent students and the Trent International Program, Trent World Day focuses on the many nationalities on campus. Activities are intended to both celebrate international diversity, and to educate the Trent community about the range of cultures represented among our students.

Streamlining Textbook Orders at the Bookstore
The Trent Bookstore is offering new options this year to enhance the student experience. With the support of the TCSA and several university offices, the Bookstore is offering a ‘move-in’ program, allowing students to pick up their books on move-in day at their college. The new program will help to make first-year students feel welcome and will also assist with line-ups during September.

Official Opening of the Trent in Durham Tipi
Trent University Oshawa is proud to announce the installation of a traditional tipi on the Oshawa campus grounds. “Our goal is to enhance the awareness of Aboriginal history and culture to all students at the Trent Oshawa campus and ensure our current and future indigenous students feel their culture is represented,” said Justin Fisher, director of student affairs for Trent University Oshawa. “I believe, along with meaningful indigenous events, the tipi will have a significant influence on creating a positive and inclusive environment.” Trent would like to thank the First People’s House of Learning, the Baagwating Community Association and Alderville First Nation for ensuring the success of this initiative.

Expanded Food Options at the Trent Oshawa Café
Mr. Raymond Lu and Chef Jimmy Zeng are the new Food Service providers at Trent University Oshawa, with the new Trent Café opening this month. The new providers were selected from a bidding process using criteria such as quality and variety of food, price, and service model, and reviewed by a committee consisting of student representatives from TOSA, staff, and an outside consultant. The Trent Café will offer a more diverse menu including salad and steam tables, sushi, and hot entrée options, as well as longer hours of operation, and an enhanced customer experience.

CELEBRATING A MILESTONE: TRENT’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Trent University invites the entire community to join alumni, students, staff and faculty in celebrating its history and its future at a series of special fall events:

Watch Trent’s 50th Anniversary Video:Celebrating 50 years of personal, purposeful and transformative learning. Trentu.ca/Fifty

“Ron Thom and the Allied Arts”: free panel discussion on Thursday, September 11, exploring the life’s work of Ron Thom, master planner of Trent University. Featuring distinguished speakers including architect Bill Lett Sr., who worked with Mr. Thom on the design of Trent’s campus, the panel is part of the national coast-to-coast traveling exhibit “West Coast Points East: Ron Thom and the Allied Arts”, hosted at Alumni House until October 19.

Chancellor’s Gala: Dr. Don Tapscott, chancellor of Trent University, will welcome 400 special guests to celebrate Trent's past, present and future at the Chancellor’s Gala to celebrate 50 years of excellence on Friday, October 17. With bestselling author and Trent alum Linwood Barclay as MC, guests will be entertained with live music from “now and then”, and inspired by remembering 50 years of personal, purposeful and transformative learning.

50th Anniversary Community Parade & Celebration – Saturday, October 18, 2014 Trent will re-create the University’s original opening ceremonies held 50 years ago at the Community Parade & Celebration on Saturday, October 18, from Trinity Church to Rubidge Retirement Home, the original building for the University. To thank the community of Peterborough for a wonderful partnership, the parade will include family-friendly activities, gifts, live pop music, and discounts at local restaurants for attendees.

“Trent @ 50: In Story and Song”: Students, friends, alumni and many celebrity guests will put on a unique show at Showplace Performance Centre on Saturday, October 18, written by Beth McMaster and directed by Gillian Wilson.

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Fall Start-Up Orientation Program Welcomes New and Returning Students to Trent

 Activities and information sessions at Trent University Oshawa sets students up for academic and social success

Friday, August 29, 2014, Oshawa, ON

Trent University Oshawa will welcome new and returning students to the Thornton Road Campus for the Fall Start-Up Orientation Program on Tuesday, September 2 and Wednesday, September 3. Hosted by the University and by the Trent Oshawa Student Association (TOSA), the orientation program is the first step in providing new students from high school, transfer students, mature students and international students with the tools and information they need for a strong university career.

Students, staff, and faculty have worked since early March to create this year’s Fall Start-up program. Helping to make orientation an outstanding experience for new students, 35 senior student volunteers dedicate their time to coordinate and run the various dynamic events, along with the support of faculty and staff.

Students who participate in the orientation will connect with their peers, upper-year students, faculty, and staff; learn of the many clubs, intramurals, and leadership programs they can get involved in; and prepare to be actively engaged with their peers and faculty in class. They will also receive academic support that will allow them to feel confident in their ability to succeed academically, including information on time management, academic integrity, and university-level expectations. Additionally, information will also be available to students about the variety of career options available with their major of choice

Highlights of Fall Start-Up Orientation are listed below, including exciting photo opportunities.

Welcome & Official Opening of the Trent in Durham Tipi  PHOTO OPPORTUNITY!
Tuesday, September 2, 10:30am – 11:00am
Harold Ashkewe, Elder from the Mississaugas of Scugog Lake First Nation, will welcome guests to the territory, followed by a welcome to new students from Trent president and vice-chancellor, Dr. Leo Groarke. City of Oshawa Mayor John Henry and Joe Muldoon, head of Trent Oshawa, will also welcome students and reflect on post-secondary education. Harold Ashkewe will open the tipi with a traditional smudging

Boomwhacker Experience
Tuesday, September 2, 11:00am – 12:00pm
Boomwhackers are tuned acoustic tubes that create different harmonic tones. They are played by tapping the end of the tube against one’s hand or clashing two together, rather like cymbals. This low-risk, high-energy event is designed to connect our incoming students with their peers through interactive rhythm and music

Team Competitions
Tuesday, September 2, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Designed to ensure new- and upper-year students work together through a variety of physical, intellectual, and creative challenges. This activity will also provide students insights into the services and supports provided at Trent in Durham

Campus Fair  PHOTO OPPORTUNITY!
Tuesday, September 2, 3:00pm – 5:00pm
A lively event held on the Trent Oshawa Thornton Road back yard includes a live band, inflatable obstacle course, carnival games, Campus Clubs fair, bannock cooking in the tipi, cotton candy, popcorn, and snow cones, Pan Am Games booth and mascot Patchi, Oshawa Athletics booth, and Durham Regional Transit booth.

Friendly Student/Faculty/Staff dodgeball game
Tuesday, September 2, 6:00pm – 7:30pm

Trent Think Tank *NEW*
Wednesday, September 3, 10:30am – 11:15am
Students and faculty selected a text and a documentary for the Trent in Durham Think Tank. This programs connects all students through common texts and offers new students a chance to experience a seminar before classes begin.

Academic Sessions
Wednesday, September 3, 11:15am – 3:45pm
This is an important piece of orientation for all new Trent students as they learn many different academic skills through these specially-designed sessions and workshops in order to give them a strong head start on their first classes

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Trent Anthropologist’s Groundbreaking Research Points to Interactions between Neanderthals and Early Modern Humans

Paper co-authored by Professor Eugène Morin published in prestigious journal Nature 

Thursday, August 21, 2014, Peterborough, ON

Neanderthals and modern humans would have co-existed long enough to allow for significant cultural and genetic exchange, according to a paper co-authored by Trent University anthropology professor Eugène Morin, published in the prestigious journal Nature.

The new data challenges the long-held view that modern humans simply replaced the Neanderthals as they expanded into Western Europe between 41,000 and 39,000 years ago. For the first time, the new paper provides a more refined timeline for the disappearance of Neanderthal populations from Western Europe than any previous research.

The findings by Prof. Morin along with an international group, led by Professor Tom Higham of Oxford University, have important implications for research into the cultural, technological and biological elements involved in the replacement of Neanderthals by modern humans. “One potential implication is that interactions between distinct populations—even those as distinct as Neanderthals and early modern humans—are extremely complex and rarely result in simple and direct replacement of one group by another,” said Prof. Morin.

According to Prof. Morin’s research, as a consequence of extremely unfavourable climatic conditions, Neanderthals experienced severe population decline, yet succeeded in maintaining genetic ties with other neighbouring populations, including the incoming anatomically modern humans from Africa. This process allowed the diffusion of Neanderthal traits into the modern human gene pool. These findings provide support to the hypothesis that Neanderthals contributed, although to a moderate extent, to the emergence of modern humans.

Working on team projects of this kind across the globe provides many opportunities for the exchange of ideas and keeping up to date on the latest advances in the field, Prof. Morin said. “Pulling together all these data from a wide range of sites and regions is always a challenge, but the results are often quite productive. This paper fits nicely with my own research on Neanderthal and early modern human adaptation, and especially, their subsistence strategies.”

The research project was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Leverhulme Trust, through the Ancient Human Occupation of Britain (AHOB) project, the NRCF (NERC Radiocarbon Facility) programme, Keble College (Oxford), the European Research Council and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada.

The paper will be published online on Wednesday, August 20, and may be accessed at the following link: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v512/n7514/full/nature13621.html

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Trent Anthropologists Discover Cultural Background is Key to Lucid Dreaming

Research published by professor and graduate student shows that experience of lucid dreaming depends on cultural assumptions

Thursday, July 15, 2014, Oshawa, ON

Have you ever had a dream in which you realized that you were dreaming? What did you do next? New research by Trent University Oshawa Anthropology professor Roger Lohmann and graduate student Shayne Dahl indicates that cultural learning shapes the kind of awareness and control we can experience while dreaming, how we explain it, and what we can do with it.

“Scouring the ethnographic record on dreaming for hints of lucidity under Professor Lohmann’s guidance, I found something surprising: that lucid dreaming is widely thought to have serious consequences,” said Mr. Dahl, who completed his M.A. thesis entitled “Knowing Means Connecting with the Source of Life: Knowledge and Ethics among Blackfoot Traditionalists” at Trent in 2012, and is now a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Toronto. “As one of my Blackfoot informants put it, ‘You could die in your dream.’”

Prof. Lohmann and Mr. Dahl’s findings will be published in July 2014 in a piece called “Cultural Contingency and the Varieties of Lucid Dreaming” as part of the collection Lucid Dreaming: New Perspectives on Consciousness in Sleep. Lucid dreaming – waking consciousness arising during a dream – has been a hot topic of scientific research in recent years. According to Prof. Lohmann and Mr. Dahl’s research, the common assumption that dreams are products of isolated imaginations has distorted our understanding of lucidity’s variation in form, function, and real-world outcomes. While pop culture portrayals in films like Avatar and Inception present fantasies of lucid dreaming enabling marvelous powers outside the dream world, many traditional and religious cultural worldviews direct people in all seriousness to purposefully act while dreaming to effect changes in the waking world.

Prof. Lohmann’s fieldwork in Papua New Guinea among the Asabano people explored how they used dreaming as evidence for and contact with supernatural beings. “Asabano converts often told me that seeing dreams of Jesus or Heaven convinced them that what the missionary told them was true,” said Prof. Lohmann. “It struck me that they had to believe their dreams were more than figments of their own imaginations to reach that conclusion, and that I, for example, would not be convinced by the same experience because of my different cultural background.”

Similarly, Mr. Dahl’s M.A. fieldwork in Alberta included encounters with lucid dreaming practiced by Aboriginal medicine men. “Shayne’s field experiences and initial search of the world ethnographic literature brought home to us that lucid dreaming is an altogether different undertaking with profound potentials for people who think it’s more than just a fantasy. In fact, in our further investigation, we found that [descriptions of] lucid dreams are radically different in form, function, and outcome depending on the cultural assumptions of the dreamer,” said Prof. Lohmann.

Their research revealed evidence that in some cultures, lucid dreaming is unknown, while in others it is taught. In some, lucidity is tacit rather than acknowledged, but people nevertheless believe that they actively undertake goals in their dreams. Prof. Lohmann and Mr. Dahl found that this implicitly lucid “volitional dreaming” commonly appears in ethnographic accounts of dreaming. In cultures where “generative” theory holds sway, dreaming of something is understood to cause it to happen in the waking world. This leads people to experience lucid dreams as opportunities to create or do magic, spinning off a placebo effect or even a killing “nocebo” effect, as Dahl describes in his thesis. By contrast, people who believe dreams are what one sees during “soul travel” use lucid dreams as an opportunity to spiritually visit actual places.

“Even when we consciously disbelieve our dreams,” Mr. Dahl said, “they still affect us at a deeper, emotional level that we can’t easily control with reason.”

“All of this shows that cultural dream theories are multiple, that people invoke them in complex ways, and that they are at the very core of what lucid dreaming is and what it makes possible,” said Prof. Lohmann.

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For more information, please contact:
Dr. Roger Lohmann, associate professor of Anthropology, Trent University Oshawa
905-435-5100 ext. 5043 or rogerlohmann@trentu.ca

Trent University Announces New Masters in Educational Studies Program

New M.Ed. program to begin in July 2015 will expand Trent’s capacity for building leadership in education

Thursday, July 10, 2014, Peterborough, ON

Trent University will open a new Masters in Educational Studies program in July 2015 at its School of Education and Professional Learning, providing an exceptional opportunity for teachers and professionals to build their educational leadership in an interdisciplinary, personalized, and research-focused environment.

The Masters in Educational Studies program will be deeply aligned with Trent’s mission, offering a truly interdisciplinary approach to educational studies. The M.Ed. program will benefit from the University’s established record of strong partnerships and collaborations with school boards and local communities, and from the focus on social and ecological justice that frames Trent’s programs.

“Since the inception of the School of Education and Professional Learning at Trent University in 2002, our faculty have anticipated the need to develop a graduate program in Educational Studies,” said Dr. Jacqueline Muldoon, dean of the School of Education and Professional Learning. “The interdisciplinary focus of the new M.Ed. program combined with a critical theory approach, a commitment to Indigenous education, and most importantly a focus on social and ecological justice make this program unique among others of its kind.”

Open to all individuals with a Bachelor degree, the M.Ed. program will feature a combination of course work, teaching and research seminars, and individual reading and research. Students will typically complete the program on a part-time basis over a minimum of two years.

“Trent’s School of Education and Professional Learning has a successful history of encouraging the development of its students through strong student-faculty connections, in line with the University’s values,” said Dr. Gary Boire, provost and vice-president academic, Trent University. “For a student group that will be largely composed of existing teachers and professionals, Trent’s commitment to fostering dialogue and mentoring in personal settings will make the M.Ed. program truly stand out.”

The Masters in Educational Studies will build on the University’s emphasis on research and enhance relationships with community partners such as school boards and educational organizations, providing research opportunities for graduate students. Students will develop the ability to contribute professionally in their future positions, to acquire skills that will enable them to contribute to knowledge creation and mobilization, and to think across disciplinary bounds.

The courses and research committees are designed to foster collaboration across a number of disciplines, theoretical perspectives and frameworks. Students will draw on the expertise of core faculty from education, business administration, Canadian studies, English literature, Indigenous studies, history and psychology. Trent’s M.Ed. program will also emphasize innovative use of education-related technologies to support high-quality student learning and to model best practices for the wider educational community.

As with the B.Ed. program, the Masters in Educational Studies program will attract students nationally and internationally. It will also meet a strong and documented need in the region. The M.Ed. program will attract professionals in the field of education, as well as students who wish to pursue academic careers in fields with related educational foci, such as medical or nursing education, environmental education, psychology and social work. It will also meet the needs of the local teaching profession who desire a higher professional degree, something increasingly seen as essential for professional development and advancement.

For more information about the Masters in Educational Studies program and to view the course pathway options, please visit trentu.ca/education/masters.

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New Governors Appointed to Trent University Board for Terms Commencing July 1, 2014

Newly appointed members will share skills in governance, education, Aboriginal relations, and financial leadership

Thursday, July 3, 2014, Peterborough

Trent University’s Board of Governors is pleased to announce the appointment of three new external members, who will bring to the Board a wide range of expertise in governance, Aboriginal relations, education, human rights and social justice issues, and financial and corporate leadership.

Mr. John Beaucage, Ms. Lucie Edwards and Mr. Ken Hartwick have been appointed external seats on the Board, each for a three-year term commencing July 1, 2014 and ending June 30, 2017.

“On behalf of the Board, I would like to welcome our new external governors,” commented Bryan Davies, chair, Trent University Board of Governors. “These individuals bring strong skills and experiences that will expand the Board’s perspectives and enrich its deliberations and decision-making. I am especially pleased that, as we prepare to mark Trent’s 50th anniversary in 2014, two of these external members are also Trent graduates.”

John Beaucage (External)
John Beaucage is one of Canada’s most respected First Nation leaders. He was elected as grand council chief of the 42-member First Nations of the Anishinabek Nation (Union of Ontario Indians) in 2004, after serving four consecutive terms as chief of Wasauksing First Nation. Since leaving his position as grand council chief in 2009, Mr. Beaucage has served on a number of boards, was the founding CEO of the Lake Huron Anishinabek Transmission Company and is working on green energy projects with several First Nations across the country. He worked for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) for 15 years across the country and sat on the Premier’s Cabinet for Smoke-Free Ontario, Ontario’s Expert Panel on Climate Change and the Ontario Biodiversity Council. He is currently the principal at Council Public Affairs and also works as a freelance mediator and consultant on issues of green energy and land disputes. A graduate of the University of Western Ontario, with a combined degree in English and economics, he has done post-graduate work in First Nation planning at the University of British Columbia. Mr. Beaucage has been awarded an honorary Doctorate from Nipissing University.

Lucie Edwards (External)
Lucie Edwards is an instructor in international affairs at the Universities of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier, and is a candidate for a doctorate in Global Governance, specializing in science and environmental policy, at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. Ms. Edwards enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the Canadian Foreign Service, as Canada’s high commissioner in succession to Kenya, South Africa and India, and as permanent representative to the UN Environment Program. She also served as founding director general for global issues and senior assistant deputy minister for corporate services in the Department of Foreign Affairs. She retired as chief strategist and head of the Office for Transformation, steering an ambitious change management program within DFAIT. In 1995, she received the Public Service Award of Excellence for her humanitarian work during the genocide in Rwanda; she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award of Excellence by the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2009. She has extensive experience in governance in the not-for-profit sector, having served as a trustee with international agencies specializing in education, public health, agriculture and scientific research. Ms. Edwards graduated from Trent University in 1976 and has maintained a strong connection with her alma mater, returning to lecture in development studies as the Ashley fellow and alumna in residence at Champlain College in 2011.

Ken Hartwick (External)
Ken Hartwick served as president and CEO of Just Energy until April 2014 after a career spanning more than 20 years in the financial sector. During his tenure at Just Energy, Mr. Hartwick served as president and CEO of Just Energy Group Inc. from June 2008 onwards, and as president from 2006 until June 2008, and chief financial officer from April 2004 to 2006. He played an integral role launching Just Energy’s businesses in Alberta, British Columbia, Indiana, New Jersey, California, Texas and the United Kingdom as well as growing the businesses already established in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Illinois, and New York. Previously he served as senior vice-president and chief financial officer of Hydro One Inc., the largest electricity delivery company in Ontario and one of the largest in North America. He also previously was a partner of Ernst & Young and a vice-president of Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. Mr. Hartwick serves on the Board of the Ontario Energy Association and on the Board of the Atlantic Power Corporation. He graduated from Trent University in 1985 with an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration and maintains a strong commitment to Trent.

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For more information, please contact:
Deb deBruijn, university secretary, Trent University
705-748-1011 ext. 1223 or debdebruijn@trentu.ca

Trent University Welcomes New Director of Athletics & Recreation

Deborah Bright-Brundle to join Trent as of July 14, bringing a wealth of experience in management of sport organizations

Thursday, June 26, 2014, Peterborough

Trent University is pleased to announce the appointment of Deborah Bright-Brundle as the director of Athletics & Recreation. The announcement was made earlier this evening during the closing dinner at the 2014 President’s Excalibur Golf Tournament.

In her new role, Ms. Bright-Brundle will provide innovative leadership and vision to the management of the Athletics Centre’s delivery of recreational, varsity and intramural sport, and health and wellness programming, to support the goals and priorities of the University.

Ms. Bright-Brundle joins Trent with a proven record of success in building organizations, program development, and senior operations management. Most recently, as president and CEO of the new 125,000-square-foot Abilities Centre sports and arts complex in Whitby, Ms. Bright-Brundle established an evidence-based vision, implemented administrative and organizational policies, and delivered the successful construction and opening of the new building. Previously, she served as president and CEO of Special Olympics Canada for five years, developing a comprehensive strategic plan and a long-term athlete development model that transformed the organization’s national brand position and program development focus.
     
“I am very pleased to welcome Deborah to Trent University and to the Department of Athletics & Recreation,” said Steven Pillar, vice-president, finance and administration, Trent University. “She brings with her a wealth of experience in executive planning, management, and transformation of recreation and sport-based organizations. I have no doubt that she will be a wonderful leader for the Athletics Centre and will continue Trent’s commitment to an environment of excellence for athletes, students and staff.”

Ms. Bright-Brundle lives locally and has been involved in many local volunteer initiatives in the Peterborough region, including serving on the Board of Directors for Sport Kawartha, the Fairhaven Foundation Board of Directors, the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation’s Dancing with the Docs committee and more. She graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor degree in physical education, followed by a Master’s degree at Western in kinesiology.

“Sport has always been an important part of my life and I am honoured and excited to take on the role of director of Athletics & Recreation at Trent”, said Deborah Bright-Brundle. “It is a wonderful time to join the University as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. It is a time of reflection on its history and, while respecting and celebrating its past, it is also a great time to look to the future for continued growth and development opportunities”.

The Athletics Centre, renewed in 2010, is a bright, modern fitness centre that provides sport, recreational, and health and wellness opportunities for students, staff, faculty and members of the community. Key features of the facilities include the Justin Chiu Stadium, 25-metre competitive swimming pool, indoor rowing/paddling tank, indoor climbing wall, 12,000-square-foot cardio loft and weight room, and squash courts.

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Trent Students Establish New Research Website to Decolonize Education

Transforming Relations project aims to change the way Canadians understand Indigenous culture and history  

Thursday, June 19, 2014, Peterborough, ON

Trent University students have contributed to a new website that highlights various initiatives aiming to change the way Canadians understand and relate to First Nations cultures, histories, and knowledges. The Transforming Relations website, featuring information from a collective research project by fourth-year Indigenous Studies students at Trent, has been launched to help educators, community activists and researchers in undertaking educational initiatives to transform relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

Students in the new “Transforming Settler Consciousness” class, taught by Dr. Lynne Davis, conducted research to document the many initiatives being undertaken by grassroots groups, non-profit organizations, businesses and governments in Canada to change the way in which Canadians understand our collective history and current relationship issues. The collaborative research collection consists of more than 150 initiatives, including cultural awareness events, experiential learning opportunities, and anti-colonial training, representing a diversity of approaches and ideological orientations.

“Other researchers in this area have been interested in establishing this foundational documentation as a first step in being able to assess the types of initiatives that can have an impact,” said Professor Davis, who participated with the student researchers in completing this extensive collection. “Despite time constraints, we were able to create a solid compilation that can be expanded and analyzed in the future.”

Several Trent University-based initiatives were included, including the annual Indigenous Women’s Symposium, which focuses on Indigenous women’s priorities, such as relationships with water; the Sacred Water Circle, which creates dialogue around water and other spiritually-based environmental issues; and the Trent University Native Association, which hosts interactive and informative activities during Aboriginal Awareness Week.

Brodie Ferguson, Cherylanne James, Kristin Lloyd, Tessa Nasca, Sara Taylor and Julian Tennent-Riddell – the six fourth-year students who worked on the project – presented their research at the 2nd Annual Explorations in Settler-Indigenous Relations and Learning Graduate Symposium at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto in March 2014. The students appreciated the experiential and practical nature of the research project.

“Knowing that this project will live on beyond the academic setting has inspired me throughout this research,” said Mr. Tennent-Riddell. “It has been an incredible learning experience to document the extensive work being done across the country to transform settler consciousness, and to contribute to the necessary further efforts in this growing field of study.”

View the website and research case studies at http://transformingrelations.wordpress.com/.

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For more information, please contact:
Dr. Lynne Davis, professor of Indigenous Studies, Trent University, at lydavis@trentu.ca

Trent University Receives National Award for Best Print Ad

CCAE silver award for Trent’s dynamic Legacy Campaign ad series featuring founding president Dr. Tom Symons, professor John Wadland, and chancellor Dr. Don Tapscott

Wednesday, June 11, 2014, Peterborough

Trent University has been awarded a top prize from the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE) in the 2014 Prix D’Excellence Awards – a Silver Award for the category Best Print Ad or Poster in the country for its dynamic and engaging series of print ads promoting the University’s Legacy Campaign.

The CCAE Prix D’Excellence awards, which were presented at a conference in Edmonton June 4-6, 2014, recognize outstanding achievements in alumni affairs, public affairs, development, student recruitment and overall institutional Advancement in universities across Canada.

The judges praised the Trent ads for being “entertaining and engaging” and “very appropriate to the target audience.” They also lauded the ad campaign for its clever tagline, “What will your legacy be?” and strong call to action.

The overall goal of the Legacy Campaign ad series was to create a personal, inspirational and provocative donor-centred advertising series that showcased individuals who either have already provided a realized estate gift to the University or already included Trent University in their estate plans. As part of the Legacy Campaign, the ads were used to encourage and entice others to become legacy donors at the University. Overall, the donor-centred advertising series was developed to demonstrate legacy giving on a human level that is personal as well as purposeful.

The key to the campaign was selecting and highlighting strong inspirational leaders for the ads. Each individual chosen is a well-recognized, highly-respected leader within their own communities. All Trent constituencies were covered with the series as it showcased alumni, faculty, retirees, community members and board members, highlighting that legacy giving is relevant and important for all people associated with Trent and our community. Individuals included: Dr. Charles Omole ’64, a small town Ontario surgeon from Nigeria; Erica Cherney, Trent’s first female Board chair; Trent’s founding president Professor Tom Symons; Dr. Deborah Berrill, founder of Trent’s School of Education; and more.

As a result of the campaign, the University has more than doubled its Legacy Society, welcoming more than 100 new members.

The 11-part ad series has been featured in Peterborough’s two local newspapers as well as in the University’s alumni publication, Trent Magazine.

To view the complete award-winning ad series and to learn more about the Legacy Campaign, visit www.trentu.ca/legacy.

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Trent University Anthropology Professor Receives Funding for Research at Ancient Maya Site in Belize, Central America

Dr. Helen Haines to receive $20,000 through a prestigious grant from the National Geographic Society’s Committee for Research and Exploration

Friday, May 30, 2014, Oshawa, ON

Trent University Oshawa professor Dr. Helen Haines has received a coveted $20,000 grant from the National Geographic Society’s Committee for Research and Exploration in support of her excavation project work at the ancient Maya site of Ka’Kabish in Belize, Central America.

Professor Haines, who teaches anthropology at Trent and is a research fellow of the Trent University Archaeological Research Centre (TUARC), has been conducting research on Maya culture in northern Belize for 25 years. She is currently the director of the Ka’Kabish Archaeological Research Project (KARP), which is focused on understanding the development of social stratification and its transformative role in the development of early states. Prof. Haines was thrilled to learn that she and her team will receive funding from the National Geographic Society, stating that the grant will provide immense help with both support of student research and project infrastructure.

“I am deeply honoured to be receiving a National Geographic Society grant,” said Prof. Haines. “I remember reading National Geographic journals as a child, and to think that I might one day be featured in one of their volumes is a dream come true.”

Joe Muldoon, head of Trent University Oshawa, noted that Trent has a thirty-year history of archaeological research in Belize with Professor Paul Healy. “Prof. Helen Haines continues this tradition of excellence, and this recent grant from the National Geographic Society will help support her outstanding research program involving both undergraduate and graduate students,” Mr. Muldoon said.

Prof. Haines’s dream of becoming an archaeologist began when she found a book about Heinrich Schliemann’s discovery of Troy in the library of her elementary school. “I fell in love with the idea that someone could read about one of these myths and then actually go and find it,” she said. As an undergraduate at the University of Toronto in 1990, she participated in her first field trip to Belize and was fascinated by the possibilities. She now spends part of each year directing her own excavation project at Ka’Kabish. “It’s like watching a city coming back to life,” she said.

Along with a team of graduate and undergraduate students and local workers, Prof. Haines is examining archaeological evidence from Ka’Kabish, dating from 800-400 BC to AD 900-1100. Their research focuses on the political formation and dynamics of early states: how they emerged, and how groups were integrated into larger political landscapes. Artifacts found during excavations can contribute to archaeologists’ knowledge of many aspects of a site, from the status of its residents to political boundaries.

“What we’re hoping to show is a better understanding of how this site relates politically and economically to cultural zones to the west and east,” Prof. Haines said. “It will help us clarify those relationships that our site had with those other communities.”

Prof. Haines obtained her B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Toronto and her Ph.D. from the Institute of Archaeology, University of London, England, in 2000. She also held a three-year Post-Doctoral research appointment in the Department of Anthropology at The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL.

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Trent University Oshawa Celebrates Achievements and Successes at 48th Convocation on June 5

135 graduates from Trent University Oshawa to be honoured at Symons Campus ceremony in Peterborough: Watch live web-cast at Trentu.ca and follow #TrentConvo 

Tuesday, May 27, 2014, Oshawa, ON

Trent University will welcome 1,732 students, families, faculty and special guests to the University Court of the Bata Library on Symons Campus in Peterborough to celebrate the accomplishments of its newest graduates from across Canada and countries around the world at the 48th Convocation ceremonies from Tuesday, June 3 to Friday, June 6, 2014.

Dr. Don Tapscott, Trent chancellor, will preside over the Convocation ceremonies, along with Dr. Steven E. Franklin, who will celebrate his final ceremony as Trent’s president and vice-chancellor. The University will bestow honorary degrees upon five outstanding individuals: award-winning novelist Joseph Boyden, renowned anthropologist Wade Davis, educator and Arctic researcher Shelagh Grant, accomplished public servant Richard Johnston, and investment leader David Patterson will be recognized for their extraordinary contributions to academic life at Trent and to society as a whole.

Among the 135 graduates of Trent University Oshawa, 51 are graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree, 21 with a Bachelor of Science Honours degree, 49 with a general Bachelor of Arts, nine with a general Bachelor of Science, two with a Bachelor of Education and one with a Bachelor of Business Administration. All Trent University Oshawa graduates will be recognized at the ceremony on Thursday, June 5 at 10:00 a.m. An Honorary Doctor of Letters degree will be conferred upon Shelagh Grant during the ceremony.

As graduating students complete their chapter at Trent, many of them will be continuing their education in academic or professional programs or moving on to fascinating careers (read profiles of some of Trent’s brightest new graduates at trentu.ca/convocation/profiles.php). A new study released by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) shares that 87 per cent of Canadians agree that university research makes a major contribution to the nation’s economic prosperity. Similarly, Statistics Canada’s latest National Graduate Survey shows that university graduates have relatively high incomes and full-time employment rates, with over 90 per cent of graduates employed within three years.

Watch the live web-cast of the ceremonies at trentu.ca/convocation/coverage.php.
Follow @TrentUniversity on Twitter and Facebook and add your own comments and photos during the ceremonies by using the hashtag #TrentConvo.