Laurier partners with Milton and Milton Public Library to launch 12th season of Laurier Milton Lecture Series

Oct. 12, 2021
For Immediate Release

Waterloo – Wilfrid Laurier University, in partnership with the Town of Milton and Milton Public Library, is kicking off the 12th season of the Laurier Milton Lecture Series on Oct. 13 with a presentation on the impacts of a warming climate on Arctic water.

The Laurier Milton Lecture Series, which will be held virtually until public health restrictions ease, brings faculty members and researchers from across the university and its campuses to speak to the Milton community and the wider public about a broad array of important topics.

“We are pleased to begin another year of programming with the Milton Public Library,” says Carolyn Hawthorn, associate director of Laurier’s strategic initiatives in Milton. “This partnership continues to share the incredible research of Laurier faculty members with the Halton community and beyond. Moving the series to an online platform has increased accessibility and engagement, with participants joining lectures from across Ontario.”

Lectures will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. on the second Wednesday of every month via the Milton Public Library's Crowdcast channel. All Laurier Milton lectures are free and open to the public. Registration is not required.

Eight lectures are planned between Oct. 13 and May 11 on topics including:

“It's Getting Hot Up Here! Impacts of a Warming Climate on Arctic Water,” with Branden Walker, a Laurier research associate in the Arctic Hydrology Research Group at the Cold Regions Research Centre, on Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. Walker will speak about his research studying trends in snow, water and ice to understand how Arctic systems are changing and how they may interact with other parts of the physical and human environments.

“Fostering Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Curating Resources to Support Educators,” with Avis Beek, assistant professor in the Faculty of Education, and student researchers Kalysta Mejia-Torres and Renny Talianchich, on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. Beek, Mejia-Torres and Talianchich, members of Laurier’s Faculty of Education’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Coalition, share how educators can incorporate principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and Indigenization into their classroom practices and personal lives.   

“The Education and Labour Market Transitions of African Youth with Refugee Backgrounds in Canada,” with Stacey Wilson-Forsberg, associate professor of Human Rights and Human Diversity, and Oliver Masakure, associate professor of Business Technology Management, on Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. Wilson-Forsberg and Masakure will outline the challenges facing African youth transitioning into and out of high school and university in Canada and highlight projects designed to build the skills and confidence among the youth and their parents to make decisions that affect their education and lives.

In the new year, Laurier President and Vice-Chancellor Deborah MacLatchy will speak about bringing planetary health education to Milton. There will also be lectures on the ethical responsibilities of designers; African girls and activism in Ontario’s high schools; and product design in the cannabis market, among other topics.