Media releases

• Brock Chancellor Hilary Pearson re-elected for third term

  Thursday, November 13, 2025 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE — November 13, 2025 — R0133

  There have been many moments over Hilary Pearson’s time as Brock’s Chancellor that have caused her to pause and reflect on how special the University community is.

  From seeing the pride in the eyes of the first graduates crossing Brock’s Convocation stage after the COVID-19 pandemic to meeting the inspiring Laura Sabia Entrepreneurial Award recipients who are breaking barriers with innovative new businesses to celebrating the University’s 60th anniversary against the backdrop of Niagara Falls lit up in Brock red, Pearson has been moved by her experiences since first taking on the ceremonial leadership role in October 2020.

  The renowned Canadian leader in philanthropy and community engagement was recently re-elected by Brock’s Senate for a third term as Chancellor, commencing July 1, 2026, until June 30, 2029.

   “I look forward with anticipation to three more years of learning from and sharing with students, faculty members, staff and leadership of the University,” Pearson says.

   “Brock has an exceptional group of leaders in place today, from our remarkable President Lesley Rigg and the executive team to the dedicated Board of Trustees led by Chair Anne McCourt to the Deans and faculty of the University who care very deeply about the quality of teaching and research and the well-being of all students,” she says.

   “I will continue to support, encourage and celebrate the growth and aspirations of Brock as Niagara’s first and best university.” 

   Pearson’s versatile achievements range from serving in senior policy roles in the federal government to advising some of Quebec’s largest corporations. She has spent decades advancing a culture of philanthropy in Canada, serving as founding President of Philanthropic Foundations Canada for 18 years and working closely with many of the country’s largest private charitable foundations.

  Pearson was recognized for her impact with the Order of Canada in 2018.

  “We’re grateful to be able to continue drawing on Chancellor Pearson’s vast experience as we work to advance Brock’s strategic priorities,” says University President and Vice-Chancellor Lesley Rigg. “Her passion for supporting and mentoring students has created valuable opportunities across campus and contributed to the University’s efforts to foster a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization. We look forward to all that we will accomplish together in the coming years.”

  In 2023, Pearson and her husband Michael Sabia made a generous $500,000 gift to the University to support the creation of student awards honouring the legacy of Michael’s mother Laura Sabia, a noted Niagara politician, journalist and women’s rights leader.

  The awards include: 

  • The Laura Sabia Entrepreneurial Awards, which recognize women students at Brock who are developing a business idea and exploring entrepreneurship as a viable career path.
  • The Laura Sabia Scholarships, which support women students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subject areas.
  • The Laura Sabia Research Scholar awards for researchers in the Yousef Haj-Ahmad Department of Engineering, with a priority on women researchers or projects involving women students.

  Community engagement is deeply rooted in Pearson’s family. In addition to her connection to husband Michael Sabia, Canada’s top public servant, and his mother Laura Sabia, Pearson is the granddaughter of Lester B. Pearson, the eminent prime minister who was awarded the Nobel Prize for his and Canada’s role in United Nations peacekeeping, and who also ushered in Canada’s iconic national flag.

  Pearson is the ninth chancellor in Brock’s 61-year history.

  Chancellor Hilary Pearson is available for media interviews.

  
  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

• Kindness is an ‘antidote’ for digital age disconnect, says Brock prof

  Friday, November 07, 2025 | By Brock University

  EXPERT ADVISORY — November 7, 2025 — R0132

  As World Kindness Day approaches on Thursday, Nov. 13, Sandra Bosacki is reminding people that being kind isn’t just a nice gesture; it’s a strategy for leading a happier, more fulfilled life.

  The Brock University Professor of Educational Studies says kindness is a strength, not a weakness, and that it provides emotional benefits, particularly among youth.

  Kindness can serve as an “antidote” to the increasingly disconnected, anxious and lonely state of youth today, especially in the digital age, says Bosacki, Director of Brock’s Theory of Mind in Education (ToME) Lab. 

  ToME researchers explore how having a kind-oriented mindset can help people to treat others with compassion, feel more in control of their emotions and feel happier. 

  Bosacki says there are many ways in which practicing voluntary behaviours that are considerate and mindful of others can help to benefit one’s mental health and can help people lead more satisfying lives. 

  “Kindness can take many forms and does not need to cost anything,” she says. “It can mean being considerate and mindful of others by making another person’s day brighter by smiling or asking them how they are doing today; without being asked, helping out around the home with chores, helping a peer in school with their class work or in social situations.” 

  Bosacki adds that adolescents who engage in acts of kindness and hold kind self-beliefs report high levels of emotional well-being, less anxiety, and feelings of loneliness and fear. They also report increased compassion for themselves and others as they mature.  

  This is due in part to the complex way adolescents’ minds develop awareness of the world while processing their own mindsets and those of others. 

  “Those who develop a kind mindset are more motivated to proactively help others and respect diversity in the future, demonstrating a deeper understanding of the shared human experience,” Bosacki says. 

  Kindness, she adds, breeds kindness. It begins with individuals and grows to see schools and communities promoting a culture of compassion.

  “Kindness is contagious,” she says. “You can ‘catch’ it from your family and friends.” 

  While it is important to celebrate World Kindness Day, Bosacki says people should practice kindness every day towards all living beings, the environment and the natural world. 

  “Think of the ability to be kind and considerate and show care and compassion to yourself and others as a superpower and quick way to connect with others and nature around us,” she says. “We are all human and deserve to belong, be cared for and respected and be treated with compassion irrespective of gender identity, culture and abilities. 

  “Be kind and compassionate to all, and together, we can create a culture that encourages today’s youth to be the ‘Kind Generation.’” 

    

  Brock University Professor of Educational Studies Sandra Bosacki is available for media interviews on this topic.

   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