Past Lectures

May 1, 2019 – Corporate Social Responsibility and Consumer Response

Dr. Todd Green, Associate Professor of Marketing, Goodman School of Business, Brock University

The CIBC Run for the Cure, Home Depot’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity, and Ronald McDonald House are all high profile examples of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) engagement.

As the role of CSR has grown in importance for a number of stakeholders including consumers, job seekers, investors and regulators, it is important to understand when CSR works and when it falls flat.

Dr. Green’s work has focused on both consumer behaviour and advertising strategy in the CSR space. He will focus on the factors that consumers deem to be important in deciding whether or not to support CSR activities, and will also discuss how advertisers can best position and communicate how they are seeking to make a positive impact on society at large.

May 8, 2019 – Small is Big: Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine

Dr. Gerald Audette, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Member of the Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions, York University

There has been a significant push in recent years toward the development of new ways to produce and store energy, generate interesting and useful materials and to diagnose and fight disease, by harnessing the potential of things at the nanoscale. There is certainly a lot of potential and a lot of buzz around all things “nano”.

But what is really going on when we move to smaller and smaller systems for technology and medicine? What can we learn from nature’s nano examples? And how do we tackle the new and often unanticipated implications to technology, health, safety, and the environment that nanoscale-based technology and medicine present?

Dr. Audette will provide an overview of several nanotechnology and nanomedicine examples and explore the opportunities, challenges, and pitfalls of going small to tackle big problems.

May 15, 2019 – Leadership in International Development

Jos Nolle, Dean, Seneca International, Seneca College

What are the impacts of international development projects? What makes for an effective international development project? What type of leadership is needed? What is meant by internationalization of higher education?

Jos has done a variety of project evaluation tasks for the Rotary International Foundation in places as diverse as Mozambique, Ethiopia, Ecuador, Brazil, Mexico and Arizona. He will also share his experiences in his leadership roles in Doctors without Borders (Medecins sans Frontieres) and on behalf of two Canadian colleges in this field. He will explore how these overseas activities can bring positive impact back to learning institutions in Canada. You will leave this session with plenty to further reflect on.

May 22, 2019 – The Sibelius Cycle

Bradley Thachuk, Music Director, Niagara Symphony Orchestra

The Niagara Symphony Orchestra is in the midst of its exploration of the works of Finland’s greatest composer, Jean Sibelius. In this entertaining illustrated talk, Bradley will explain the unique style of Sibelius musicality.

May 29, 2019 – Managing Your Gut Microbial Army and Why It’s Important

Dr. Emma Allen-Vercoe, Professor, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph

Did you know that your gut harbours a vast super-city of microbes that is responsible for a good deal of your health? These invisible critters make up an entire virtual organ that until recently we have for the most part ignored to our great detriment. Only in the last few years has science finally started to scrutinize the world of this ‘gut microbiota’ and to unlock its secrets.

In this lecture, Dr. Allen-Vercoe will explain the importance of your gut microbes, debunk some myths, and provide some tips for keeping healthy.

June 5, 2019 – The Teenage Brain Under Construction

Dr. Jean Clinton, Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University

Over the past decade neuroscience has finally been able to shed light on why teenagers do the things they do!

This presentation will explore what has been learned about brain development and how the environment and experience plays a key role in this development.

The rise of mental illness among our Canadian youth, risk taking, novelty seeking, and risk of substance abuse will be explored.

September 26 – Opera 101

Iain Scott, Lecturer, Broadcaster, Writer, one of Canada’s leading experts on Opera

Who is afraid of opera? Perhaps, lots of people. And yes, it does need three essential prerequisites: exposure, time, and money to be enjoyed to its fullest potential.

But for many people who have retired and now have the time at least to give it a chance, it can be one of the most rewarding of all the arts because it has so many intriguing dimensions.

Iain will give us a lighthearted introduction.

October 3 – The Future of Primary Care: How will the quality of care agenda help you?

Dr. David Kaplan, Chief of Clinical Quality, Health Quality Ontario

A strong primary care system is the bedrock of any successful
healthcare system. This is particularly true for an aging population with growing health needs.
Ontario’s health care system has been steadily evolving over the past 20 years in respect of who is involved and how those individuals are compensated.

Now the focus is increasingly turning to ensure we are achieving the 6 dimensions of quality: Patient Centred, Timely, Safe, Effective, Efficient, and Equitable.

Dr. Kaplan will present a broad level look at the performance of Ontario’s primary care system and what the future looks like.

October 10 – Sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism: Navigating with confidence and ethics

Dr. Agnes Nowaczek, Professor, Niagara College

Navigating through the multitude of competing ‘green’ messages from the tourism industry isn’t easy. While both academics and industry practitioners debate where they stand on the continuum of sustainability, we can take some ownership, as travelers, to spend our money with businesses that support our values.

In this talk, Dr. Nowaczek will aim to equip the average traveler with better understanding of sustainable tourism and ecotourism, with key examples around the world. She will link some of these examples with Niagara’s planning and management of the ever-increasing numbers of tourists to key attractions.

The lecture will bring together research from academia, industry practice, and a degree of self-examination from each traveler.

October 17 – Music that Moves Us: From Rhythm to Social Behaviour

Dr. Laurel Trainor, Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University; Director of LIVELab, McMaster University; Research Scientist, Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Hospital, Toronto

Rhythms are powerful because their regularity enables us to predict when important information will occur next. Dr. Trainor will talk about how rhythms shape our perception, how they are processed in the brain, and how rhythm processing develops in children.

She will describe brain studies that explain why music makes us want to move in time to its beat, and show how moving in synchrony with others affects our willingness to cooperate with those people, even in infancy.

October 24 – Truths and Myths about Genetically Modified Organisms

Dr. Rene Van Acker, Professor and Dean, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph

In Canada, farmers have been growing Genetically Modified (GM) crops for over two decades. These crops form a substantive basis of the commodities used in much of our processed food, yet many people remain skeptical or even fearful of GM crops and the technology that allows for the creation of GM crops.

Dr. Van Acker will explain the history and technical details of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and will discuss fears over this technology, providing truths and dispelling myths. He will also provide a glimpse into future genetic technologies and how these might impact the future of agriculture and our food supply.

October 31 – How Are the Great Lakes Doing?

Nancy Stadler-Salt, Great Lakes Coordinator, Environment and Climate Change Canada

What makes the Great Lakes great? And how are the Great Lakes doing?
Nancy will explain the current environmental conditions of the Great Lakes, whether conditions are getting better or worse, and how Canada and the United States go about assessing the lakes.

This information is key in order to know where to put efforts to protect, restore and improve conditions and also to know what is stressing the ecosystem.

May 2 – The Right Road is Straight Ahead: The Legacies of Canada’s Peacekeeping Past

Dr. Colin McCullough, Adjunct Professor, McMaster University and Ryerson University; Author

Dr. McCullough will delve into how Canada’s response to the Suez Crisis of 1956, and Lester Pearson’s winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957, shaped Canadian understandings of UN peacekeeping, and ultimately allowed this international action to become seen as an expression of the country’s national identity.

Given the Trudeau government’s stated desire but operational reluctance to re-engage with UN peacekeeping, it is vital to know more about the country’s peacekeeping past, and what past governments have done to advance the idea of Canada being a peacekeeping nation.

May 9 – Movies for the Masses: The National Film Board, “the eyes of Canada

Joan Nicks, Film Critic; Historian

Legislated into existence by an act of parliament in 1939, the Film Board (NFB) established a pan-Canadian identity and ideology. Wartime film propaganda was the immediate goal. The long-term vision was the social use of documentary, post-war, in a changing cultural climate.

Illustrated with film footage, this lecture addresses the Film Board’s institutional purpose, documentary tradition, and emergence of a new generation of filmmakers interested in regionalism and making feature films.

May 16 – The Lives and Deaths of Stars

Dr. Michael Reid, Researcher, Lecturer & Public Outreach Coordinator, Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto

When we look up at the stars, they seem to be eternal and unchanging. Star maps from thousands of years ago work nearly as well today as when they were first devised.

Yet, if we take a cosmic perspective, we find that stars live dramatic and exciting lives. Some stars have gentle births and will live for many times the current age of the universe. Other stars are born in spectacular infernos, live short lives, and die violently.

In this talk, Dr. Reid will use images from the latest telescopes on Earth and in space to document the lives of all types of stars. He will show you how, though we are not usually aware of it, we have all come from stars, depend on stars for our survival, and may someday return to the stars.

May 23 – Access and Privacy in the Digital Age

Brian Beamish, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

Learn about the importance of public access to government-held information, the promises and pitfalls of big data, and protecting your personal information online.

May 30 – How Free Trade with China May Impact Canada’s Domestic and International Politics

Dr. Charles Burton, Associate Professor, Political Science, Brock University

Canada’s political and business élite is strongly supportive of economic integration with China through negotiation of a free trade agreement. Canadian public opinion is less supportive due to concerns about China’s corrupt politics and business culture, and perceived lack of respect for environmental and labour regulations, as well as strong objections to pervasive violation of human rights in China.

There have been concerns raised about Chinese régime attempts to gain influence over Chinese promotion of their political and economic interests in Canada through indirect provision of economic benefits to Canadian policymakers.

China has made enhanced economic engagement with Canada conditional on Canada ceasing to politically engage with China on human rights and sensitive international issues such as China’s support for North Korea and China’s illegal expansion of military bases on islands in the South China Sea.

There is debate over whether economic integration with China to sustain and promote Canadian economic prosperity in the face of uncertainty over relations with the United States comes at too great a political cost to Canada.

June 6 – Medical Cannabis – What’s it all about?

Dr. Lydia Hatcher, MD, CCFP, FCFP, CHE, D-CAPM, Associate Clinical Professor of Family Medicine, McMaster University; Chief of Family Medicine, St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton, Ontario

In just over 100 years we have gone full circle from the much touted uses of cannabis in Victorian times to ‘reefer madness’, and now we are on the way back to legalization of marijuana in Canada and more importantly, medical research to back up some of these old and new claims of its benefit for a multitude of health problems.

While there is much debate about the merits and risks of cannabis, Lydia will lead you through an informed discussion about these risks and concerns. She will explain how and why the cannabinoid system has so many effects on our body and how this leads to the many very differing effects of this plant from ‘mind alteration’ to our immune system. She will also discuss the therapeutic uses of medical cannabis in seizure disorders, chronic pain, and mood disorders, as well as the future of research for medical cannabis.

September 27 – Scorned as Timber, Beloved by Sky: The Story of Emily Carr

Anna Stanisz, Associate Director, Creative Learning & Programs, McMichael Canadian Art Collection

One of the most iconic Canadian painters, Emily Carr is also admired for her autobiographical writings that in a large measure shaped our perception of her artistic career. Anna’s illustrated talk will contextualize this personal narrative with facts and documents discovered by successive Canadian scholars fascinated by Emily’s art and personality. Come and hear a fresh perspective on being a British Columbia woman artist in a world dominated by Group of Seven giants.

October 4 – Canadians’ Fascination with the Weather

David Phillips, Senior Climatologist, Environment and Climate Change Canada

Why is the weather so important to Canadians? Why are we so obsessed with it? David has spent half his career trying to figure out why Canadians are so outwardly disgusted by weather, yet so secretly proud of it at the same time. And Canadians love to talk about it. David will share with you his experiences – both good and bad – in talking about our love/hate relationship with the weather.

What is clear to all Canadians is that something is happening to our weather. It’s almost as if extreme weather has become the norm. And there seems to be more freakish weather. Further, the seasons seem to be out of whack, certainly not what our teachers and parents told us it would be like. Some experts suggest that we may be witnessing the beginning of a profound change to our climate and bad weather may be proof of an overheated, out-of-control planet. On the other hand, it has happened before; maybe we are going through some rough times, experiencing some bad “weather” luck. There is so much we don’t know about our weather. But what has become clear is that our planet is warming and the number of weather-related disasters is on the rise. Could it be that weather is more important to us now than it ever has been? And the rest of the world is doing what Canadians have always done…talking about the weather.

October 11 – Queen Victoria and Canada

Dr. Carolyn Harris, Historian, Author and Royal Commentator; Teacher, University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies

When Queen Victoria died in 1901, her birthday continued to be a holiday in Canada to honour her role as a Mother of Confederation. Over the course of her 63 year reign, Queen Victoria had a profound impact on Canadian history, politics and culture. Loyalty to the Crown brought Canadians, including the Fathers of Confederation, together and Queen Victoria played a key role in uniting Canada in 1867.

October 18 – The Northwest Passage: Tracing One Warm Line

David Newland, Writer, Musician and Speaker; Zodiac Driver and Expedition Host, Adventure Canada

David Newland has a passion for the Canadian experience. He travels the coasts of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland & Labrador, Greenland, and Nunavut with Adventure Canada.

Using enhanced projected images, video, and original songs, David will touch on the history of Arctic exploration, including the story of Franklin’s lost expedition. He will also introduce Inuit ideas of territory, community, and creative culture, and discuss Arctic wildlife and ecology, including glaciers, sea ice and the potential effects of climate change in the North.

October 25 – The Future of Food and Beverage

Craig Youdale, Dean, Canadian Food and Wine Institute, Niagara College

The Canadian Food and Wine Institute is Canada’s leader in food and beverage training, boasting a combination of culinary, beer, wine and food science training.

The world has seen an explosion of craft beer plus development in cider and distilling. At the same time, restaurants continue to grow and change. Education plays a significant role in supporting these developments.

Craig will discuss where this training is going, what the CFWI has in store for the Niagara region, and how they are preparing students for a future in the food and beverage industry.

November 1 – Tools to Build a High Performing Sustainable Health Care System

Dr. Sacha Bhatia MD, MBA, FRCPC, Director, Women’s College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care; Cardiologist, Women’s College Hospital and University Health Network; Adjunct Scientist, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences; Assistant Professor, University of Toronto’s Department of Medicine and the Institute for Health Policy Management and Evaluation

Canada’s health care system is under significant pressure. An aging population and increasing rates of chronic disease threaten quality and affordability within our system of care. Is there a way forward? Dr. Sacha Bhatia will discuss innovative research that is happening at the Women’s College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (WIHV) to help ensure Canadians get the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

May 3 – Journalism in a Digital Age

Paul Berton, Editor-in-Chief of The Hamilton Spectator and Thespec.com

Learn how modern technology is changing the nature of investigative journalism, ethical reporting, credible information, and the nature of truth.

May 10 – Jazz: Music of the People

Heather Bambrick, Award-winning Vocalist, Voice Actor, Broadcaster and Educator

“My own feelings about the direction in which Jazz should go … humanity in music and the freedom to say all that you want.” ~ Booker Little

“Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn.” ~ Charlie Parker

From its roots in African American tribal music and spirituals, to influences from Gospel, the Blues, and even Hip Hop, Jazz is considered by many to be the only true (North) American musical art-form.  Its development has drawn parallels between the Jazz idiomatic songbook and several societal changes – from the Civil Rights Movement right up to the death of Trayvon Martin.

Whether it’s Nina Simone’s “Young, Gifted, and Black”, Charles Mingus’ “Good-bye Pork Pie Hat”, or Robert Glasper’s “Black Radio 2”, Jazz artists have used their music to reflect upon and comment on the world around them.

This discussion will look at some of the connections between Jazz and the ever-changing societal connections of the Twenty-First Century.

May 17 – Understanding the Big Bang

Dr. Michael Reid, Researcher, Lecturer and Public Outreach Coordinator, Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto

The Big Bang Theory is one of the crowning achievements of modern science. The basic premise – that the universe began expanding about 14 billion years ago from a very hot, dense state – has been independently verified many times over. And yet there is widespread confusion and uncertainty about what the theory actually says – and what it doesn’t.

Did the universe begin as some kind of atom? If it’s expanding, what’s it expanding into? Does it have an outside? Are there other universes? And why did it start? In this talk, Dr. Reid will clarify what we do and don’t know about the Big Bang.

May 24 – Vineland’s Feeding Diversity Program: Bringing World Crops to Market

Dr. Viliam Zvalo, Research Scientist, Vegetable Production, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre

As part of a collaborative group of partners determined to build a local ethno-cultural vegetable marketplace, Vineland is leading research on new crop varieties, production technologies, postharvest innovations, consumer insights, and market development.

This multi-disciplinary research program is growing the competitiveness of the Ontario fruit and vegetable sector through the targeted product development of new world crops such as okra and Asian and Indian eggplant.

In partnership with commercial growers across Canada, Vineland’s production team is trialing these new varieties to assess agronomic performance and disease resistance, while postharvest scientists are working to optimize storage conditions to preserve the quality of ethno-cultural vegetables through the distribution chain and at retail.

May 31 – Antibiotics and Resistance: A Looming Global Crisis

Dr. Gerry Wright, Director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research and Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University; Canada Research Chair in Antibiotic Biochemistry

Antibiotics are the cornerstones of modern medicine. These wonder drugs not only have saved countless lives, they have enabled a large number of clinical interventions.

From major surgeries, to cancer chemotherapy, to pre-term infants, the control of infection that antibiotics offer have had a profound impact on our quality and length of life.

We are now at risk though of losing these advances. Bacteria have become increasingly resistant to our available drugs and the pharmaceutical industry has failed to provide new ones.

We are at risk of entering a post-antibiotic era. Work on understanding how we got here and what we can do about it will be presented.

June 7 – What does it mean to be Canadian?

The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario

Following a brief lecture, The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell will engage with the audience in a discussion about what it means to be Canadian.

September 28th, 2016 – India’s Rise and Implications for Canada

Kasi Rao, Vice President of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada; Senior Advisor (India) Bennett Jones Law Firm

Learn about long term implications for Canada due to the intersection of India’s economic reforms and its increasingly important and strategic role in world affairs.

October 5th, 2016 – Human Stem Cells: Biology and Applications Toward the Clinic

Dr. Mickie Bhatia, Canada Research Chair in Human Stem Cell Biology; Scientific Director of the Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute (SCC-RI); Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University

Human stem cells provide the potential to model disease and regenerative organs. Dr. Bhatia will discuss progress in the area, limitations, and future directions to the clinical reality of stem cell applications.

October 12th, 2016 – The Arab Spring That Never Came

Dr. Atif Kubursi, Emeritus Professor of Economics, McMaster University

Dr. Kubursi will discuss the many existential developments and challenges, such as economics, secularism, democracy, price of oil, refugees, and terrorism.

October 19th, 2016 – If These Walls Could Talk – Murder and Mayhem, Art and Architecture High Above Italy’s Amalfi Coast

Cynthia Venables, Art & Cultural Historian; Painter & Photographer

Experience, see and feel this wonderful place through the many unique images that will illustrate the story and make the history tangible.

October 26th, 2016 – Mosquito Surveillance for Arboviruses: Lessons from West Nile Virus and Plans for Zika Virus

Dr. Fiona Hunter, Brock University Level 3 Containment Lab; Medical Entomologist; Professor

Mosquito surveillance for arboviruses (arthropod-borne viruses) is an important component of Public Health response and preparedness. After discovering which mosquito species are driving an arbovirus outbreak, it is possible to determine when and where a new outbreak will occur.

November 2nd, 2016 – Art, Literature and the Poetics of Ageism

Dr. Andrea Charise, Assistant Professor of Health Studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough; 2014 Polanyi Prize for Literature

Dr. Charise explores how the invention of population at the end of the eighteenth century helped fashion the “aging population” into a major character in the cultural landscape.

May 4th – The Search for Life in the Cosmos

Dr. Michael Reid, Researcher, Lecturer & Public Outreach Coordinator, Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto

Have you ever wondered if life exists anywhere other than on Earth? If there is intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, why have we not encountered it yet?

May 11th – Neurorehabilitation Through Dance

Dr. Joseph DeSouza, Associate Professor, Centre for Vision Research, York University

Learn how the exercise of dance is helping people with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

May 18th – Another Side of Mozart Revealed

Brian Carlile, Professional Musician, and Andrew Chan, Harpist

Brian Carlile – Mozart produced an inexhaustible stream of correspondence covering his life highlights, tours, amours, colleagues, employers, and triumphs.

Andrew Chan will introduce the harp and answer questions on the instrument’s construction, development, and techniques.

May 25th – Innovation to Reach the World’s Poorest of the Poor

Dr. Joseph Wong, Ralph & Roz Halbert Professor of Innovation; Professor & Canada Research Chair, Political Science, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto

Poverty reduction is a global priority in the developing world and here in Canada.

June 1st – Technologies for Healthy Aging

Nora Young, Host of CBC Radio’s Spark; Author of The Virtual Self

As we enter the era of the Internet of Things, more and more technology promises to help us lead active, safe lives, from ‘smart’ pill dispensers to wearable health monitors.

June 8th – Changing Technology and the Reporting of News

Bill Cunningham, Pioneer of Television Journalism; War Correspondent; Award-Winning Producer of News & Documentaries; Editor; Program Host; Network Executive; Professor

Learn about the evolution of TV News. Mr. Cunningham will discuss the transition from print and radio to TV as the main news source

September 16th, 2015 – Russia: A Path to Understanding

Dr. David Schimmelpenninck van der Oye, Professor of Russian History, Brock University

What you should know about Russia’s past to understand the way it behaves today. A discussion of how persistent factors in Russian history continue to shape Moscow’s politics in the twenty-first century.

September 23rd, 2015 – Three Major Classical Works: What Makes These So Special?

Bradley Thachuk, Music Director of the Niagara Symphony Orchestra

Learn about the programming process a conductor goes through in the selection of works for a symphony orchestra’s season.

September 30th, 2015 – Embracing Vanprastha: Perspectives on Aging from the Hindu Tradition

Dr. Karen Trollope-Kumar, Family Physician and part-time faculty member in the Department of Family Practice at McMaster University

An insight into the concepts of aging from the Hindu tradition, including the third stage of life, Vanprastha, seen as a time for exploration of new horizons and for giving back to society.

October 7th, 2015 – Good News for Our Third Act: We Just Get Better!

Dr. Caitlin Mahy Director of the Developing Memory and Cognition Lab at Brock University

Although physical and cognitive declines accompany aging, several abilities remain stable and even improve with age. Current psychological theories of aging positively will be discussed in relation to changes that we experience with age.

October 14th, 2015 – Exploring Wilderness in the 21st Century

Adam Shoalts, Professional Explorer and Adventurer

Listen to an explorer discuss some of his most recent expeditions, including to the High Arctic, and what it’s like to be an explorer in the 21st century.

October 21st, 2015 – Shaw’s Women and Their Costumes

Rita Brown, Retired Head of Costumes at The Shaw Festival Theatre

Hear how the wonderful costumes seen on the Shaw Festival’s stage come to fruition and bring to life characters from different elements of women whom Shaw knew.