Brian Stevenson has the world in his hands.
Lakehead University’s sixth president said on Friday during his installment speech that it’s up to students and faculty to go forth and change it for the better.
Stevenson, at the helm of the Thunder Bay school since August, said by opening opportunities beyond traditional borders and making themselves heard in the global community, there’s no reason Lakehead’s vast resources can’t help forge the future of the world.
“We can bring students from around the world to our campuses. We can send out students to many countries, to learn many languages, to understand many cultures, to witness many histories, to broaden their horizons and to change the course of their lives,” Stevenson said to a packed house of about 300 at the third-floor auditorium at Port Arthur Collegiate Institute, a school he hopes to one day turn into a faculty of law, following the lead of his predecessor Fred Gilbert.
“We can tap into the talent of our multicultural and international faculty and task them with connecting us with their roots. We can connect people in cities and municipalities, in Aboriginal and rural communities to opportunities and new horizons previously beyond their reach. We can change the world.”
Stevenson, who arrived at Lakehead via the University of Winnipeg, where he was the provost and vice-president academic, talked about the profound sense of community he’s discovered since he first landed in the city, noting that the people of Thunder Bay, Northwestern Ontario and Orillia are connected to the school in a magical way.
“When we see the university, we see more than what appears on the surface. We see the magic behind it. We see the memories of our past. We see the dreams and hopes of our future,” Stevenson said.
“The university is more impressive than its buildings, grander than its labs and greater than its classrooms. Somehow a student comes into it one person and comes out of it another one. Lakehead University is more than the sum of its parts.”
He praised the school’s coziness – smaller class sizes and better access to faculty – but also its ability to conduct cutting-edge research that often leads the way.
A university’s role is not only to educate, but to help stimulate the local economy and a community’s social development, pointing to a pair of events this week that revolved around the university’s role in economic development and a desire to increase Aboriginal enrolment.
Arthur Mauro, chancellor of Lakehead University’s board of governors, said Stevenson is the perfect fit at the perfect time.
“I think the real sleeping Giant in Thunder Bay is Lakehead University. And it’s awakening. We can make a very real contribution, and I think that Brian Stevenson is the man to lead that rejuvenation and continued contribution,” Mauro said.
Friday’s installment ceremony was attended by a virtual who’s who of both the local business and political community, as well as high-ranking representatives from university’s across the country, including former minister of foreign affairs Lloyd Axworthy, Stevensons’ former boss at the University of Winnipeg.
The ceremony, which featured the singing of the Lakehead University Vocal Ensemble and the Medicine Wheel Spirit Singers, culminated with the viewing of Shy-Anne Hovorka’s uplifting video, Can’t Change the World.
Lakehead University’s sixth president said on Friday during his installment speech that it’s up to students and faculty to go forth and change it for the better.
Stevenson, at the helm of the Thunder Bay school since August, said by opening opportunities beyond traditional borders and making themselves heard in the global community, there’s no reason Lakehead’s vast resources can’t help forge the future of the world.
“We can bring students from around the world to our campuses. We can send out students to many countries, to learn many languages, to understand many cultures, to witness many histories, to broaden their horizons and to change the course of their lives,” Stevenson said to a packed house of about 300 at the third-floor auditorium at Port Arthur Collegiate Institute, a school he hopes to one day turn into a faculty of law, following the lead of his predecessor Fred Gilbert.
“We can tap into the talent of our multicultural and international faculty and task them with connecting us with their roots. We can connect people in cities and municipalities, in Aboriginal and rural communities to opportunities and new horizons previously beyond their reach. We can change the world.”
Stevenson, who arrived at Lakehead via the University of Winnipeg, where he was the provost and vice-president academic, talked about the profound sense of community he’s discovered since he first landed in the city, noting that the people of Thunder Bay, Northwestern Ontario and Orillia are connected to the school in a magical way.
“When we see the university, we see more than what appears on the surface. We see the magic behind it. We see the memories of our past. We see the dreams and hopes of our future,” Stevenson said.
“The university is more impressive than its buildings, grander than its labs and greater than its classrooms. Somehow a student comes into it one person and comes out of it another one. Lakehead University is more than the sum of its parts.”
He praised the school’s coziness – smaller class sizes and better access to faculty – but also its ability to conduct cutting-edge research that often leads the way.
A university’s role is not only to educate, but to help stimulate the local economy and a community’s social development, pointing to a pair of events this week that revolved around the university’s role in economic development and a desire to increase Aboriginal enrolment.
Arthur Mauro, chancellor of Lakehead University’s board of governors, said Stevenson is the perfect fit at the perfect time.
“I think the real sleeping Giant in Thunder Bay is Lakehead University. And it’s awakening. We can make a very real contribution, and I think that Brian Stevenson is the man to lead that rejuvenation and continued contribution,” Mauro said.
Friday’s installment ceremony was attended by a virtual who’s who of both the local business and political community, as well as high-ranking representatives from university’s across the country, including former minister of foreign affairs Lloyd Axworthy, Stevensons’ former boss at the University of Winnipeg.
The ceremony, which featured the singing of the Lakehead University Vocal Ensemble and the Medicine Wheel Spirit Singers, culminated with the viewing of Shy-Anne Hovorka’s uplifting video, Can’t Change the World.
