BrockUResearch: Consider This

Within the next 15 years, people 65 years and older will account for more than half of Niagara’s population growth. Region officials warn that we must be prepared to meet the needs of our ageing population.   Joining us to explore the concept of “age-friendly” communities and how to create them are Paula Gardner, assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences, Lynn McCleary, associate professor in the Department of Nursing and Kimberly Gammage, associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology and director of the Brock Seniors Exercise Program at the Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being.

The excitement is building! Starting on July 10th, thousands of athletes and their fans will be converging in Toronto, first for the Pan Am Games and then the Parapan Am Games. Niagara will be hosting events at two locations. There are high hopes that these events – and the games in general – will bring great benefits to Niagara. Here to discuss the impacts of the Pan Am Games on Niagara are Julie Stevens, sport management associate professor and director of the Centre for Sport Capacity at Brock University, Chris Charelbois, Business Development and Operations director with the Niagara Sport Commission, and Shannon Kerwin, assistant professor in the Department of Sport Management at Brock University.

Identity theft, bogus investment opportunities, stolen credit card information: in this increasingly technological world, becoming a victim of a fraud is a very real concern. The Competition Bureau of Canada has named March as being Fraud Prevention Month. Joining us on this topic are Angela Book from the Department of Psychology, Voula Marinos from the Department of Child and Youth Studies, and Teju Herath from the Goodman School of Business, with remarks from Detective Sergeant Paul Spiridi, head of the Niagara Regional Police Service’s Central Fraud Unit.

The pooling of brainpower and talents across the globe is gaining in importance, as we all face common human and environmental problems. When researchers from different countries and regions of the world collaborate with one another, powerful transformations take place; the entire human family gains from these synergies. Joining us are three Brock University researchers who have partnerships with colleagues in Africa, Asia and Europe: Joyce Mgombelo with the Department of Teacher Education; Lynn Rempel with the Department of Nursing; and Gary Libben with the Department of Applied Linguistics and Brock University’s Vice President Research.

The holiday tree has been taken down. The credit cards bills are starting to pour in and it’s cold and dark outside. ‘Tis the season when thoughts turn to the concept of “well-being.” What exactly is well-being? What are the beliefs and practices that create – and sustain – a sense of well-being? Here to explore the question are Michael Busseri, associate professor, Department of Psychology, Colleen Hood, professor, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, and Kathy Belicki, professor, Department of Psychology.

Our planet is in trouble. Plant and animal species are becoming extinct at least 1,000 times faster than they did before humans inhabited the earth. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere reached a record high in 2013. Levels of the metal mercury in much of the world's oceans are double to triple what they were before the industrial revolution. There are more and more calls for us to lead “sustainable” lives. But what does that mean? Helping us to explore this concept are Liette Vasseur, professor, Department of Biological Sciences; Ian Brindle, professor, Department of Chemistry; and Diane Dupont, professor, Department of Economics.

Victims of bullying - ranging from the playground to the workplace - were once advised to “suck it up” or learn how to “fight back.” Zopito Marini, professor in Child and Youth Studies and Lisa Barrow, assistant professor in the Goodman School of Business who specializes in workplace bullying, discuss how our awareness and understanding of bullying has changed, along with how to deal with it. The podcast is being aired in the same month as a public forum is scheduled to be held at Brock.

A common challenge people living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face is to recognize and develop social skills so that they can interact effectively with others. Rebecca Ward, assistant professor and clinical coordinator of the Centre for Applied Disability Studies, Maureen Connolly, professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Kimberly Maich, assistant professor in the Department of Teacher Education discuss theories and practices in the area of social skills development. October is Autism Awareness Month in Canada.

Charles Burton, political science associate professor and China expert, David Schimmelpenninck, history professor and Russia expert, and Blayne Haggart, political science assistant professor and U.S. expert, delve into power shifts that have been brewing for awhile but are now starting to make the headlines. Host Mike Saunders kicks off the show by asking the group: Is the sun, indeed, rising in the East and setting in the West?