Articles from:August 2026

• Goodman alumni investing in Brock’s next generation of business leaders — and calling on grads to do the same

  Thursday, August 13, 2026 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE — Aug. 13, 2026 — R0067

  With a wealth of experience under their belts and a proven track record of success, 10 accomplished Brock University business alumni have come together to raise awareness of what they’ve deemed a worthwhile investment: their alma mater.

  The powerhouse group of high-achieving graduates, including leaders from national and global companies, is putting their support and business prowess behind the next generation of Goodman School of Business grads.

  Together, they’ve founded the Goodman Legacy initiative, which aims to elevate the Goodman brand, amplify the School’s engaged ambassador network and grow investment in a transformational capital fund to support the future of business education at Brock.

  Jason Sparaga (BBA ’93), Managing Partner of Red Jar Energy Partners, is one of 10 founding Goodman Legacy Council members. For years, business education at Brock has been one of Canada’s best kept secrets, he says, adding the School has a proven history of creating exceptional business leaders.

  “Being the underdog taught us how to compete, but it is now time to acknowledge how far we’ve come. Goodman fosters resilience and ambition and has a history of punching above its weight — producing exceptional talent and incredible opportunities for students,” Sparaga says. “As a group, we felt a responsibility to help tell this story and invest in the School’s future, so its reputation matches its impact.”

  With a 2026 fundraising goal of $2 million, the Goodman Legacy Council has already raised $765,000. The funds are strategically allocated to create the greatest impact for students and the Goodman community. The initiative has already funded 36 student scholarships, contributed to campus food insecurity initiatives, supported student competition teams and sponsored the upcoming Goodman Alumni Summit in October.

  In addition to supporting the fundraising goal, the Council is also encouraging alumni to give back in other ways, including through student mentorship, hiring Goodman students, donating time back to the School and getting involved in upcoming Goodman Legacy events and activities.

  Goodman Dean Barry Wright says what excites him most about Goodman Legacy is the fact the group emerged organically from the School’s alumni community, and they have created opportunities for graduates in all stages of their alumni journey to get involved.

  “These are proud Brock graduates who have achieved remarkable career success and are now choosing to invest their time, talent and resources in the next generation,” Wright says. “It’s a powerful endorsement of the value of a Goodman degree and a tremendous opportunity for both our students and our School.”

  Founding members of the Goodman Legacy Council include Sparaga; David McQuilkin (BBA ’85), President of Milton Ford Lincoln; Deborah Rosati (BAdmin ’84), Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Women Get On Board Inc.; Francesca Cardarelli (BBA ’11), Global Lead Customer Engagement Marketing Transformation at McDonalds; Jim Ryan (BAdmin ’84), CEO of Boyd Interactive; Jon Faber (BBA ’02), President and CEO at Pason; Kevin Spratt (BBA ’00), President of Rich Products U.S./Canada; Mike Pilato (BAcc ’98), President and CEO of Jamieson Wellness; Rhonda Klosler (BBA ’93), National Chief Operating Officer at RSM Canada; and Steven Latinovich (BSM ’03, MBA ’05), Managing Director, Corporate Finance at BMO.

  To follow the Council’s progress or get involved, fill in the contact us page on the Goodman Legacy website.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

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

  – 30 –

  Categories: Media releases

• Research to explore why people with MS suffer more in heat

  Wednesday, August 12, 2026 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE — Aug. 12, 2026 — R0066

  While some people may find summer weather stifling, those living with multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to suffer in hot environments more than the average person, says Georgia Charachousou.

  “Symptoms get worse with MS heat sensitivity,” says the Brock University PhD in Applied Health Sciences student. “People with MS feel much more fatigued than you or I might in the heat. They may also experience blurred vision, confusion and less co-ordination in their hands when temperatures rise.”

  Charachousou says research isn’t clear on why individuals with MS are more sensitive to heat — but she’s hoping to change that.

  “Is this heat sensitivity more driven by core temperature or skin temperature? Knowing this can guide us towards better interventions to improve comfort and capacity to perform everyday tasks,” she says.

  According to MS Canada, Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the world, with more than 90,000 people living with the neurological disease.

  Charachousou is looking for people in the Niagara area who have MS to participate in research that aims to answer questions about the disease’s impact on body temperature.

  Participants should have relapsing MS and score six or less on the 10-point Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), a tool used by neurologists to assess level of disability. With relapsing-remitting MS, the most common form of the disease, people experience neurological symptoms that partially or completely disappear during periods of remission.

  Those interested in being part of the study can contact Charachousou at [email protected]

  The study is the first in a series Charachousou aims to pursue to understand the physiological mechanisms of heat impairment with MS.

  Research has shown people living with MS tend to sweat less than those without the disease, she says. When core temperature becomes too high or low, an area of the brain called the hypothalamus sends out signals to sweat glands, the circulatory system and skin.

  Charachousou wants to know if this reduced sweating capacity is due to interference in brain signals to the body’s systems or if there’s a shortcoming in the way sweat glands themselves receive that signal and act on it.

  Distinguished Professor of Kinesiology Stephen Cheung, who is Charachousou’s supervisor, previously studied MS heat sensitivity in his time at Dalhousie University.

  In Cheung’s 2011 study, MS research participants who were first cooled down by wearing a special hood, performed much better in a series of simple tests mimicking everyday tasks, such as getting up off a chair and walking.

  “Studies like the one we did show that cooling can help with MS symptoms, but we need to know more about the physiological mechanisms before we can explore the best way to keep MS individuals cool,” says Cheung. “Heat sensitivity limits the capacity to exercise, which we know is good for health, and also carry out activities of daily living.”

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

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

  – 30 –

  Categories: Media releases