Articles from:June 2025

• Brock University and St. Clair College launch fast-track to Sport Management degree

  Wednesday, June 04, 2025 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE – JUNE 4, 2025 – R0069

  Students looking to kick their sport industry career into high gear now have a new path to programming at Brock University.

  Brock University and St. Clair College have formalized a transfer pathway to enhance program options for students interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Sport Management (BSM) degree.

  The articulation agreement delivers a seamless roadmap from St. Clair’s Sport and Recreation Management advanced diploma program to Brock’s BSM program. Eligible students will receive eight transfer credits, reducing time to degree completion and offering cost savings.

  By building on their existing education, students can accelerate their entry into the sport management industry, pursuing careers in areas such as operations, recruitment, athlete performance analysis, marketing, communications and event planning. They will also unlock Brock’s robust alumni network, accessing a wealth of mentorship, professional development and career opportunities.

  “This new pathway will connect transfer students with the industry and classroom expertise that has helped Brock graduates find success in all areas of sport,” says Curtis Fogel, Professor and Chair of the University’s Department of Sport Management. “Harnessing their knowledge from both St. Clair and Brock, students will develop the skills necessary to not only enter but also thrive in this competitive field upon graduation.”

  Kevin Corriveau, Co-ordinator and Professor in St. Clair’s Sport and Recreation Management program, says students will reap the benefits of studying at both dynamic institutions.

  “This transfer agreement creates a valuable partnership for our graduates from St. Clair College with an established leader in the field of sport management,” he says. “It will provide our students the opportunity to continue their educational and practical journey in the field of sport and recreation management, allowing them to grow their skill set and position them for careers in the industry.”

  The initiative supports Brock’s broader commitment to student mobility and academic accessibility.

  “Brock is excited to open yet another door to success, equipping transfer students with tools to meet the evolving needs of the sport industry,” says Assistant Professor of Sport Management Michael Van Bussel, who, as a member of the University’s Sport Management Undergraduate Committee, establishes pathways into the program. “Through this partnership with St. Clair College, we are creating a path forward for the next generation of leaders in the field.”

  Transfer students contribute valuable perspectives to the academic environment, enriching classroom experiences for both peers and faculty, he says.

  More information on Brock’s Bachelor of Sport Management is available on the program’s web page.

   

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews: 

  *Maryanne St. Denis, Associate Director, Strategic Communications, Brock University, [email protected] or 905-246-0256

  *Kevin Corriveau, Co-ordinator and Professor, Sport and Recreation Management, St. Clair College, [email protected] or 519-972-2727 x.4548/5369

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  Categories: Media releases

• Brock research aims to keep communities safe as tick populations rise across Ontario

  Tuesday, June 03, 2025 | By Brock University

  EXPERT ADVISORY – JUNE 3, 2025 – R0068

  As any hiker or dog walker can attest, checking for ticks is routine practice after being outdoors at this time of year.

  But with tick populations on the rise across Ontario, Brock University researchers are looking to spread awareness about the dangers of these pesky bloodsuckers by monitoring local tick populations and testing them for pathogens that can spread diseases to humans and pets.

  “Tick research is incredibly difficult because of how cryptic ticks can be,” says Biological Sciences PhD student Nick Benton (MSc ’24). “Being able to study the abundance and also identify if these ticks are transmitting certain pathogens is important, not only for modelling the exposure risk for the greater community but also seeing trends into how these tick ranges are expanding and potential disease risks in an area.”

  Benton and a team of Brock researchers are currently collecting and testing ticks found in six areas across Niagara. They’re targeting the Ixodes scapularis (commonly known as blacklegged ticks or deer ticks), which can potentially transmit Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease.

  Blacklegged ticks have a two-year life cycle that consists of four stages: eggs, larvae, nymphs and adults. Nymphs and adults are currently active, with the team particularly focused on sampling nymphal ticks.

  These ticks transmit pathogens as well as being exceptionally small, making it much harder to find them on one’s body before they become a health risk.

  “The adults are the size of sesame seeds, and the nymphs are only the size of poppy seeds, so, imagine trying to find that on your body,” says Benton.

  Fiona Hunter, a medical and veterinary entomologist at Brock and renowned expert in arthropods such as mosquitoes, says research points to a clear expansion of tick populations across the province.  

  A 2009 study completed by former Brock student Kevin Reeh (BSc ’07, BA ’10) indicated a positive presence of blacklegged ticks in only four of 30 Ontario sites evaluated at the time.

  That has now increased exponentially.

  “From 2009 to now, you can go out virtually anywhere in Niagara and pick up Ixodes scapularis — that is a major public health concern,” says Hunter, a Professor of Biological Sciences. “We have this deadly tick expanding its range; it started in southern Ontario, but it’s expanding its range northward.”

  Evidence points to climate change and warmer temperatures as being one of the main drivers for its population expansion, she says.

  “They also feed on large ungulates, such as deer, so as deer populations increase, so do Ixodes scapularis populations,” Hunter adds. “They’re also linked to mouse populations, because in the smallest life stages, they’ll feed on mice. In a good year, when you have a lot of acorns, you have a lot of mice and thus a lot of deer ticks.”

  The good news, the team says, is that ticks don’t begin feeding right away — so being alert and aware can prevent serious illness.

  “It’s important to take out a tick as soon as possible, because the longer it feeds on you, the more likely it is to transmit pathogens into your bloodstream,” Benton says.

  If the tick can’t easily be brushed off, he recommends removing it with a pair of forceps or tweezers.

  “The most important thing is to make sure that you’re not damaging the tick by burning, smothering or destroying it,” Benton says. “Get as close to the tick’s head as possible, and gently and slowly pull it straight out, removing as much of the mouthparts as possible and keeping the tick intact.”

  The team is also on the lookout for the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), groundhog tick (Ixodes cookei), as well as potential other species that can transmit pathogens to humans and animals.

  While Lyme disease is the most well-known illness spread from tick bites, researchers in Hunter’s lab also test for other tick-borne pathogens:

  • Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Anaplasmosis)
  • Babesia microti (Babesiosis)
  • Powassan virus (Powassan Virus disease)
  • Rickettsia rickettsii (Rocky Mountain spotted fever)
  • Borrelia bacteria (Tick-borne relapsing fever)

  Although these are much rarer than the pathogen causing Lyme disease, their prevalence in North America is growing, Benton says.

  “The diseases caused by these pathogens can cause serious symptoms or even death if left untreated,” he adds. “We test for these extra pathogens so the community is aware of their presence and the risks a tick bite from that area can possess.”

  The research is expected to be completed by mid-summer, with plans to share results with the community.

  “We want to translate our knowledge and resources into informing the community about potential risks in their environment,” Benton says. “I have a passion for studying insects and for helping people — so I get to combine my passion for studying arthropods with helping people through medical entomology through this work.”

   

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483 

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  Categories: Media releases