Graduate Studies News

As a Geography, Biology and Chemistry instructor and research assistant at Nipissing, Lakers alumnus Ysabel Castle carries forward the values that earned her a DMLA during her student years. Her contributions included fostering critical thinking, sparking interest in geography, and creating meaningful change through research.

For Rebecca Wakelin, the path to becoming an educator, and ultimately a leader in higher education development, began unexpectedly. Raised in Northern Ontario, Wakelin’s childhood dream was to become a lawyer. However, while applying to universities, she included Nipissing University’s Bachelor of Education program as a fourth choice, influenced by her roommates pursuing teaching.

Dr. Joyce Helmer's career journey in education is as unique as it is inspiring. A Nipissing graduate with both a Bachelor and Master of Education, her story began in an unexpected place—a wrong classroom on the first day at Fanshawe College. Enrolled in the Social Service Worker Program, Dr. Helmer mistakenly attended an Early Childhood Teacher Education class instead. This serendipitous mistake set the course for a career that has profoundly impacted the educational landscape, especially for Indigenous communities in Ontario.

Jason Maitland’s interest in sustainability has grown throughout the years and the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the climate emergency have brought the impact of human actions into sharp focus. Currently pursuing a Master of Environmental Studies at Nipissing University, Jason recently travelled to Lapland, Finland, as part of a field course where he spent a week in Pyhä-Luosto National Park with other graduate students exploring the potential need to rethink how we communicate tourism in the era of climate emergency and in the aftermath of the COVID19 pandemic, specifically when it comes to engaging with northern, nature-based tourism destinations.

An accomplished student, researcher, and athlete, Alexander (Alex) Maycock graduated from Nipissing University with a Bachelor of Health and Physical Education (BPHE) in 2020 and is expected to graduate with a Master of Science in Kinesiology in October 2023.