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V O L U M E 11
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ISSUE ONE
Wet and wild return
the UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE
Dr. Robert Wood looks to push Graduate Studies forward
SOS campaign about putting students first
Don Hunt assumes role as new Registrar
Kathy Lewis takes over as ULAA President
The U of L Legend is published monthly during the academic year by the communications unit within University Advancement. Submissions, comments and story ideas are always welcome. The Legend reserves the right to refuse any submitted advertisement. The Legend can be found online at www.uleth.ca/unews/ legend. A DV E R T I S I N G For ad rates or other information, contact: legend@uleth.ca CREDITS Editor: Trevor Kenney Designer: Stephenie Karsten CO N T R I B U TO R S: Amanda Berg, Bob Cooney, Kyle Dodgson, Jane Edmundson, Nicole Eva, Suzanne McIntosh, Kali McKay, Rob Olson, Brad Reamsbottom, Stacy Seguin, Zyna Taylor, Jaime Vedres, Katherine Wasiak and Lori Weber
University of Lethbridge 4401 University Drive Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4 www.ulethbridge.ca
Students made the most of the warm summer-like temperatures that greeted them for the first week of classes by careening down a huge Slip N’ Slide as part of Fresh Fest activities.
AWARDS A CULMINATION OF COLLABORATION BY TREVOR KENNEY
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esearch funding awards are the end result of an incredible amount of preparation, primarily by the lead researcher for the funded project. What cannot be forgotten is the behind-the-scenes legwork the Office of Research and Innovation Services (ORIS) does in support of these programs. From advertising funding opportunities to helping with eligibility requirements, reviewing drafts and submissions, coordinating fund payments with financial services and filling out forms, forms and even more forms, ORIS plays an integral role in the process. “We try to make it as seamless as possible for our researchers,” says Penny D’Agnone, a Grant Officer for ORIS. “They don’t need to know about the hoops and hurdles that can sometimes pop up behind the scenes.” D’Agnone is one of three grant officers. She works with Jane Allan and Chris Picken to co-ordinate pre- and post-award processes for the various funding agencies that help support research initiatives at the U of L. Her portfolio includes medical and health sciences agencies such as the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR). Allan is entrusted with the social sciences and humanities agencies such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), while Picken looks after the natural sciences and engineering agencies such as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). D’Agnone, Allan and Picken will either alert researchers to funds they think might be applicable to their studies or assist in the process already initiated by faculty. They’ll
help with eligibility requirements, read through draft applications and ensure all deadlines are reached. “We’re not experts but we do provide a non-expert opinion on readability, making sure the applications have all the components the agencies are asking for, such as budget constraints and all the letters of support,” says D’Agnone. “Having worked on a number of applications, both successful and unsuccessful, our team has garnered some insight into the process that we are able to share with faculty.”
“We try to make it as seamless as possible for our researchers. They don’t need to know about the hoops and hurdles. ” PENNY D’AGNONE
In addition, the ORIS has many strong connections to the funding agencies and colleagues across Canada providing a network of support for faculty members. D’Agnone also participates in a CIHR peer review program each year, giving her the opportunity to see multiple applications – valuable experience she can take back to faculty. This experience is essential when dealing with the application process, which can sometimes be a long and complicated path not always leading to success. When peer reviewers deny applications, it
can be discouraging but D’Agnone, Allan and Picken play a key role in keeping the motivation for applying and reapplying alive. “For a lot of the motivation, you have to give credit to the researchers,” says D’Agnone. “I know that a peer review is not personal but I don’t know how you wouldn’t take it personally. You’re putting your life into it, it’s what you do, and it’s your passion. Then when you have a group of people come back and say it isn’t good enough, that can be difficult to hear.” Often it’s a lack of money that’s the issue, not the application itself. The money simply runs out and only so many programs can be supported. In these instances, bridge funding can be awarded to keep initiatives alive. One such application was a proposal for funding put forth by Dr. H.J. Wieden. Initiated in 2005, Wieden reapplied to CIHR on multiple occasions and received three bridge grants before finally being awarded a $515,416 grant over 5 years. “I give him all the credit for believing in this project and staying with it,” says D’Agnone. “It really is a lesson in perseverance.” D’Agnone is confident in the University’s research excellence as it continues to evolve as a comprehensive institution and says the entire office is eager to support funding possibilities they know are on the horizon. “We’re still relatively young in some of these research areas,” she says. “Health Sciences is a new faculty and I can see their research environment is expanding. People are starting to apply for planning grants to take the next step forward and they are seeing success so it is exciting to be a part of that growth.”
the Legend
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 11
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UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE
OPENMike
University of Lethbridge President Dr. Mike Mahon chats about what’s happening in the University community
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t is hard to believe that summer has come to an end and we’re back for the Fall 2011 Semester. Welcome to all new and returning students, as well as staff and faculty. As much as the summer break seemed especially short this year, probably due to the fact we’re just now enjoying summer-type weather, I am very excited to be starting a new semester. There is a special kind of energy that’s associated with the start of a new academic year, and I look forward to what lies ahead. One of the goals I had when
I started my Open Mike column last year was to keep the University community informed about what was happening within the Office of the President. I have always seen transparency as an absolute necessity in a university setting, and have strived to be open and clear about the major issues that affect our university. As we begin a new series of columns, I want to take that transparency to another level and further involve our university community in shaping the U of L’s future. On Sept. 28, at 3 p.m. in the University Theatre, I will be giving the inaugural Fiat Lux
CAMPUS Alumna Katie Lafreniere and Dr. Sameer Deshpande’s (Management) abstract titled The Decision Framing Process in Behavior Choice: Implications for Social Marketing and Communications, was accepted for a poster presentation at the 2011 National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media in Atlanta, GA in early August. Mary Kavanagh (Art) and Leanne Elias (New Media) received a $10,000 grant from the Alberta Rural Development Fund to host a symposium for artists/scientists and ranchers, Sept. 9-10. Called Ecotone, the event was designed to bring together artists, scientists and members of the rural community for a sharing of perspectives and knowledge, an exploration of ideas, and the generation of project possibilities to raise awareness of environmental issues, including sustainable agriculture. Gail Hanrahan (Drama) directed the world premiere of In Flanders Fields, a new musical by Nicky Phillips and Robert Gontier, which has been nominated for three Betty Mitchell Awards. Rossitsa Yalamova-Usher (Management) presented a paper co-authored with student Olufemi Aiyegbusi titled Carbon Pricing in Dynamic Regulation and Changing Economic Environment: AgentBased Model, at the 3rd International
presidential address to the University community. I see this as a forum to talk to you about where we’ve been as an institution, where we are today and where I see us going and needing to go in the future. It is important that you know about decisions that are made at the executive level and what challenges the University faces as it moves forward. The Fiat Lux talk will speak to where the U of L is in terms of student numbers, our budget and the challenges we see before us. There are external pressures that will affect our future, including issues such as government fund-
ing, the competitive educational landscape, the economy and even short and long-term demographic forecasts. We have established strategic priorities and directives over the past few years and this address is a chance to examine what we’ve done to move these initiatives along. More importantly, I will speak to where I feel we need to be focused going forward and what we, as an emerging comprehensive institution, should aspire to achieve. I intend to discuss such specific initiatives as an FNMI and community engagement strategy as well as philosophical ques-
kudos
Conference of Economic Sciences in Kaspovar, Hungary. Their paper was also published in the Conference Proceedings. Dr. Shelley Scott (Drama) had two new articles published over the summer. Her essay Nightwood Theatre, Asian Canadian Women, and China Doll: The Ties That Bind, was published in the book Asian Canadian Theatre. Her article Finding Regina, Third Wave Feminism, and Regional Identity was published in the book West-words: Celebrating Western Canadian Theatre and Playwriting. Dr. Blaine Hendsbee (Music) served as a judge in the national finals of the prestigious Canadian Music Competition in Montreal in June. More than $32,000 in scholarships was awarded to the national finalists. Don Gill (Art) co-curated the exhibition Mapping a Prairie City: Lethbridge and Its Suburbs at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery. Artists associated with the U of L who had work in the September exhibition included: Adrian Cooke (U of L Art Gallery, retired), Catherine Ross (arts technician), Dagmar Dahle (Art), Mary-Anne McTrowe (Art), Taras Polataiko (Art) and Leanne Elias (New Media). Dr. Brian Dobing (Management) presented a paper co-authored with master’s student Alexandru Lemnar, titled Why Systems Developers Use
Frameworks, at the 10th Annual Symposium on Research in Systems Analysis & Design in Bloomington, IN. The paper was published in the Conference Proceedings. Adam Mason (Music) conducted a series of Taiko and African drum clinics in Baltimore, Maryland in June. The U of L Music Conservatory’s Feel the Beat concert series received a $2,500 grant from Telus. Since 2008, the concert series has attracted more than 15,000 people. Tricia Hopton (BFA ‘00) co-edited the recently released Pockets of Change: Adaptation and Cultural Transition. She also co-wrote the introduction and contributed the chapter that deals with ethics in verbatim theatre, using David Hare’s Stuff Happens as a case study. Hopton is a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland. Marilyn Smith (BFA ‘96), the director of the Southern Alberta Art Gallery since 1999, received the 2011 Rozsa Award for Excellence in Arts Management. Angela Luck (Fine Arts Dean’s Office) and student Chloe Luck (science) are climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in February 2012, raising money to support Red Cross drought relief in the Horn of Africa.
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tions such as current institutional structure and our aspirations as a Destination University. I expect the Fiat Lux address to serve as an important communication tool for the internal University community, and I see it as the start of a larger scale effort to further connect with our community on a more regular basis. There are exciting things unfolding at the U of L this year and I urge everyone to come out on Sept. 28 so that we can discuss what I see as a time of unprecedented opportunity for our University.
RESEARCH AWARDS AVAILABLE, UPDATED ON ORIS WEBSITE The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) recently approved the release of more than $121 million in grants to fund more than 1,700 research projects being undertaken by individual researchers, small teams and through partnerships. At the University of Lethbridge, nine researchers have received funding as applicants or co-applicants for projects that include two Community-University Research Alliance partnerships. Examples of these awards include Dr. Dawn McBride, an associate professor in the Faculty of Education, who was a successful co-applicant for a 2011 SSHRC grant of one million dollars, over five years, to study rural and northern responses to family violence. Her co-applicant was Dr. Mary Hampton from the University of Regina. As well, Dr. Jim Byrne (geography), collaborated with James Graham (New Media) and Dr. Susan McDaniel (Prentice Institute director) to successfully apply for a $128,000 Public Outreach Grant to study Canadian environmental issues. These are just two of multiple awards received by faculty at the University of Lethbridge in a variety of disciplines. The Office of Research and Innovation Services provides a complete list of all research awards on its website. This list, which is ever changing, is continually updated and people are urged to check the following link (http:// www.uleth.ca/vp_research/content/2011-competition-results) for the latest research award results.
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the Legend
UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE
WOOD LEADS THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES INTO AN EXCITING FUTURE G E T T H E FA C T S • Wood is married to alumna Kristin AilsbyWood (BA ’96, MA, LLB), a family lawyer at Davidson & Williams, and they have a five-yearold daughter, Georgia. He took a year of parental leave in 2006. • An avid fisherman, Wood tries to find time to fish for walleye, on the Oldman River, in the Grassy Lake area. Dr. Robert Wood with his wife Kristin Ailsby-Wood and daughter Georgia.
BY TREVOR KENNEY
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is colleagues may have seen an administrative future for Dr. Robert Wood but the dean of the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) didn’t necessarily buy into their forecast. In fact, given Wood hadn’t even planned on being an educator when he started his post-secondary career, that he’s now the dean of a key strategic directive seems even more unlikely. “I had no aspirations whatsoever to do any admin work until about three or four years ago,” laughs Wood, who is now in his 12th year at the U of L. “So I certainly didn’t see myself in this role at that time.”
DELF-DALF CENTRE A LANGUAGE HUB BY BOB COONEY More people in southern Alberta will have access to an internationally recognized French language testing process this year. The DELF-DALF French Language Proficiency Testing Centre at the University of Lethbridge offered its first exams in April and is now gearing up for a new round of testing in November. The DELF-DALF tests recognize written and spoken competency in the French language at several levels, ranging from beginner to expert. More than 50 people, including U of L students, middle school students from Pincher Creek and members of the general public, completed the testing process last year. Successful candidates receive an internationally recognized diploma issued by the Centre International D’Etudes Pédagogiques (CIEP) in Paris. Modern languages professors
Originally from Leicester, UK, Wood has been in Canada since he was a young boy, growing up largely in Edmonton, where he first studied and earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He entertained the notion of law school but was too enamored with the study of sociology to leave it behind. A master’s degree at the University of Toronto, followed by a PhD back at the University of Alberta, paved the way for his career as an academic. “For me an academic career was an unplanned outcome, but it has been an immensely positive part of my life,” says Wood. Wood’s early years at the U of L were focused on establishing a research portfolio and
Steven Urquhart and Barbara Dickinson founded the local centre through a successful grant application to the Canada-Alberta Official Language Protocol (COLEP) in 2009, which saw them receive $127,000 per year over four years. A steering committee, consisting of director Urquhart and co-directors, Dickinson and Mélanie Collado from Modern Languages and Peter Heffernan from the Faculty of Education, is working with local school boards to promote French in southern Alberta. The entire testing process is strictly controlled by the French government through the CIEP and depends on “correctorexaminers” who have successfully completed an extensive training course. Currently the Centre has recruited correctors from Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Pincher Creek. As part of the Centre’s ongoing work, Urquhart and Collado spent part of their summer in Nantes, France attending a program offered by the CIEP to become trainers for the DELF (Diplôme d’études en langue française) and DALF (Diplôme approfondi de langue française) corrector-examiners. “In this way, we will be able
• Wood has authored or co-authored a number of peer-reviewed articles and books on youth culture and the various aspects of problem gambling. • Wood’s family originally emigrated from the UK to Grande Cache, Alta. igniting a passion for sociology in his undergraduate students. By 2005-06 he’d begun to involve himself at the committee level throughout the University. “I actually found the chance to have some strategic input into the direction and priorities of the institution to be quite exciting,” says Wood. “For me it’s all about
creating momentum and I saw those committee settings as an opportunity to do that.” Over the next three or four years Wood says he really connected with the committee service aspect of his job and the idea of a future in administration. His move into the area of graduate studies was natural, having been active as a graduate student supervisor and serving on a number of graduate education committees. He now finds himself on the cusp of a whole new era for graduate studies. The SGS has its own dedicated space in Anderson Hall and it has been identified as a key strategic directive as the University further establishes itself as a comprehensive institution. “When I came here in 2000, the key message was that we were an undergraduate university,” says Wood. “As a new faculty member, I got the sense that grad studies was a bit of an add-on to what we were really all about, which was undergraduate education. A lot of that has changed now because today it’s really a central component of not only how we see ourselves as an institution but where we see ourselves going forward.” Wood will play a key role as graduate studies continue to evolve. While much progress has been made, there are many areas that need to be addressed in order to truly advance the SGS. “I would like to see the program areas and faculties properly synchronized and co-ordinated with respect to the resourcing, administration and delivery of graduate education,” says Wood. “I also want to emphasize the
Modern Languages faculty members (L to R): Steven Urquhart, Mélanie Collado and Barbara Dickinson.
to train correctors without depending on the Alliance Française in Calgary, ” says Urquhart. “This past summer, a few correctors took training in order to be able to offer advanced testing (DALF C1/C2), which should appeal to University students as well as to people looking to work and or study internationally. Most French universities, for example, require students to have the C1 level to enroll in regular courses with French students.” Urquhart adds that employ-
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ers are increasingly recognizing the DELF/DALF standard when a second language is required or suggested as part of a job description. “The DELF and the DALF correspond to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), which is quickly becoming the international standard with respect to the evaluation of language proficiency,” says Urquhart. “For example, at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, the Common
importance of quality. Not only enhancing the quality of the programs that we offer, but also enhancing the quality of the overall experience of graduate education on this campus.” Wood is fully invested in his role as dean, meaning he’s had to put his research ambitions and teaching responsibilities on the back burner. While he is in the midst of co-editing a book on Internet gambling that is due out in February 2012, teaching is out of the question. “If you take an administrative job, it definitely impacts your ability to prosper as a researcher. I’m still actively engaged as a researcher but the dean’s job takes priority,” says Wood. “I do miss the classroom though. Teaching was probably my favourite part of the job as a professor. I love being around undergraduate students and I love teaching in the classroom. I just love the dynamic interaction and really do miss it.” He has a bigger picture focus now, one the University sees as a priority and one where the U of L is beginning to garner a reputation for excellence. “While we’re still relatively small as a graduate school, we’re becoming more and more recognized for many key strengths,” says Wood. “I think where we’re really being noticed on the national terrain is with the very unique multi-disciplinary programs we have, especially at the PhD level. People are certainly taking notice and I think that will continue as we continue to expand the range of PhD majors that we offer at the U of L.”
European Framework of Reference was used to evaluate potential employees’ language proficiency.” Urquhart says that the French diplomas have equivalencies in German (Zertifikat Deutsch), Spanish (DELE), Italian (CELI) and many other languages. These diplomas serve as language proficiency guides for public and private sector institutions around the world, and allow them to better understand an individual’s language competency. “This is the only French testing centre south of Calgary, so anyone in this area can contact us to learn more about the process. We are also looking for people to act as correctorexaminers. The more people we have helping us, the better we can serve those who want to take the tests and have their language skills officially recognized.” The deadline to apply for the next round of testing is Oct. 4. The tests begin in early November. There is no cost, but a deposit is required to confirm enrollment and is refunded when the course is complete. To learn more, please visit this website: http://www.uleth.ca/artsci/delfdalf/
the Legend
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 11
connections GLOBAL
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UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE
Putting students first
STUDY OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND
Tom Doyle, left, and Robin Bright are the SOS Co-Chairs for 2011/12.
Fourth-year student Courtney Lockhart at the Lincoln Memorial.
BY TREVOR KENNEY Two students with distinctly different backgrounds, fields of study and career goals shared a common experience this summer – one that speaks to the internship opportunities available at the University of Lethbridge. Courtney Lockhart is a fourth-year political science major who grew up in Lethbridge and sees herself as a future Canadian Foreign Service Officer or human rights activist. Joshua Seerattan is a fourth-year international management major who hails from Edmonton and aspires to work in international trade. This past summer they both took advantage of a 10-week internship program at the Washington Center in Washington, D.C. “I had an overwhelmingly rewarding summer in D.C.,” says Lockhart, who had an internship with Global Centurion, a small, non-profit organization dedicated to fighting modern day slavery and human trafficking. “I am definitely a more well rounded student after this experience. I gained professional skills that can’t be taught in the classroom, and I learned how to transfer my classroom skills to relevant research and a work environment.” Seerattan’s internship found him at the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of International Trade. He was tasked to design questions for a trade exam to be administered to SBA counselors. The goal was to improve their knowledge in facilitating the export of U.S. small business goods and services. “My work was directly related to my major because it was all about international business,” says Seerattan. “The course work I did at the U of L gave me a good understanding of what they wanted
and I’d already studied almost all of the material I needed to create the exam.” The Washington Center (TWC) was created in 1975 by William and Sheila Burke as an organization that would provide college students from all backgrounds and income levels with an opportunity to take their classroom learning into a professional internship setting. It is currently the largest academic internship program in the world. Beyond the internship work, students are able to take evening classes and are a part of the TWC International Affairs program. For Lockhart, the experience was invaluable, reaffirming her desire to work in a Canadian embassy setting but also opening her eyes to whole new areas of interest. “I have now become passionate about human trafficking issues, human rights and specifically women’s rights and issues,” she says. “I would really love to spend some of my career working directly with these issues as an activist for non-governmental organizations. I also developed some interest in law school.” The University’s International Centre for Students (ICS), as well as the Arts & Science Co-Op office, was able to facilitate both Lockhart’s and Seerattan’s journey after the students expressed an interest in the TWC program. It is one of multiple co-op and internship opportunities available at the U of L. “My experience in D.C. was something that I could not get anywhere else,” says Seerattan. “I’d advise any student to make sure they did an internship somewhere before they graduated. There are so many opportunities available out there and people on campus who will help you make it happen. Don’t be lazy, do some research and find an internship that fits you – it’s well worth it.”
BY KALI MCKAY
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obin Bright (BEd ’82, MEd ’88) and Tom Doyle (BSc ’93) are proud to be Co-Chairs of Supporting Our Students (SOS) 2011/12. Although they admit they don’t have much in the way of fundraising experience, they have come together to set an example and lead the charge for faculty and staff giving at the University of Lethbridge. “I’ll ask anyone for money,” laughs Bright, adding that it has to be for a good cause. Doyle is not quite so bold, but he is similarly committed to the campaign. “SOS is something I can get behind because I feel strongly about it,” says Doyle, who benefitted from scholarships when he was a U of L student. “There are lots of students here who are very driven but are financially strapped. I know what that’s like and I’m passionate about supporting those individuals.”
“The SOS campaign is about people.” ROBIN BRIGHT
While support is often measured in dollars, Bright and Doyle want to emphasize that the success of this year’s campaign will be measured by the number of donors, rather than the size of the gifts. “The SOS campaign is about people,” explains Bright, who truly values the personal connections she’s made during her time at the U of L. “It’s about faculty and staff from across campus coming together to help create a positive learning environment and make students feel welcome.” Both Bright and Doyle feel this is something faculty and staff do already through
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their work on campus. The SOS campaign is just another way to show students they are part of a campus community that cares. “The SOS campaign demonstrates that U of L faculty and staff are not just doing a job – they are truly engaged and supportive of the students here,” says Doyle. Since its launch in 2005, faculty and staff have shown their support by donating more than one million dollars to SOS. Bright and Doyle hope this is just the beginning and are looking for faculty and staff support again this year. “I want to keep reminding myself that I’m here because of the students who choose to study at the U of L,” says Bright, reflecting on her own reasons for giving. “I’m grateful to be in a
position to give back to my university and support the students who make that choice.” “When you stop and think about how your contribution can impact the life of even one student, it can be very humbling,” adds Doyle. “I want to encourage other faculty and staff members to think about the difference their contribution could make on someone’s education and potentially their life.” Watch your mailbox for more information on Supporting Our Students 2011/12. In the meantime, visit www.ulethbridge.ca/giving or call 403-329-2582 for more information or to make a donation.
The Galt School of Nursing was established in 1910 to help meet the growing need for nurses in Alberta. Set up as a teaching institute, the school trained 1,100 graduates before closing its doors in 1979. The University of Lethbridge is grateful to the Galt School of Nursing Alumni Association for its generous gift in support of U of L nursing students. Please join us for a special announcement
Thursday, September 22, 2011 | 11 a.m. Atrium | Markin Hall | University of Lethbridge 4401 University Drive | Lethbridge, AB Parking: Enter campus at Valley Road off University Drive. Follow event signs to Lot E. No RSVP required. For more information contact University Advancement 403-329-2582 | advancement@uleth.ca
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athletics AT T H E U
UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE
the Legend
All Sport Pass looks to build off success of The Herd Pronghorns rugby action begins in October.
BY TREVOR KENNEY
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he Herd came rumbling onto campus last year and now Robb Engen wants to start a stampede. Engen, the manager of business development for Sport and Recreation Services, introduced The Herd last fall, a student booster club that included a season ticket pass as part of its membership. It proved to be very popular, especially amongst firstyear students. With that concept in mind, Pronghorn Athletics is taking the Herd to the streets with the introduction of the 20112012 All Sport Pass, a $100 season ticket that grants Horns fans access to every regular season and playoff game for every Pronghorn varsity sport. “When we introduced the Herd, which is basically a season’s
A BOLD STEP FORWARD BY TREVOR KENNEY Fans of Canada West Athletics and the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns will find it much easier to follow their teams this season with the introduction of CanadaWest.TV, a new web-based broadcasting service that debuts this month. What it means for Horns followers is the opportunity to watch every U of L basketball game, both home and away, as well as all home hockey games and a select number of road contests. “Our biggest goal with
pass for students, the response was really good,” says Engen. “We wanted to extend that to the community and to our existing season ticket holders with the idea of making it easy to get into any game with one card at one price point.” The Horns had been offering single sport season tickets for years but after researching other athletic programs, both in Canada and the United States, and with the success of the Herd already established, a new path was chosen. “We’ve already got people who are coming to multiple games in multiple sports anyway, and this pass will likely save them money,” says Engen. “At the same time, we see it as an opportunity to increase our base support for Horns Athletics and maybe encourage some of our fans who
only go to one sport to check out something else.” The All Sport Pass is available for $100 and has been introduced at various University events over the summer, as well as to season ticket holders and supporters of Horns Athletics. A larger season ticket push will come this fall. Giving Horns supporters an opportunity to showcase their Pronghorn Pride is an end goal for Engen and many of the department’s recent initiatives, are aimed at doing just that. The Herd, CanadaWest.TV, a new Horns Athletics website and the All Sport Pass are all a part of getting fans to step out of the shadows, puff out their chests and proclaiming themselves as proud to be Pronghorns. “We have a really good tradition in the community but maybe
CanadaWest.TV is to try and strengthen the Canada West brand,” says U of L Sports Information and Events Co-ordinator, Eoin Colquhoun. Partnering with Stretch Internet, Canada West will be able to present a first of its kind university sport broadcast network. It will serve initially as the exclusive home to all Canada West basketball and volleyball games, along with selected games in other sports including football, hockey and soccer. “The big step towards this took place last year when we mandated that all Canada West basketball games needed to be webcast,” says Colquhoun. “Volleyball is also mandatory and then it will be up to individual schools to make decisions on what sports they decide to webcast. This year we’ll also include our home hockey games.” Not only will the games be available by accessing Can-
adaWest.TV online from your computer, all streamed games will also be available on Flash 10.1-enabled mobile devices and, for the first time in Canadian university sport, on all iPhone OS devices – including the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. The overriding theme of the partnership is to expose Canada West sports to as many people as possible. “It provides us with a unique opportunity as a conference and as individual schools to have our product seen by fans across Western Canada and around the world,” says Ben Matchett, Canada West VP, Marketing. “Our new mobile platform also means they will not miss a minute of the action no matter where they go.” For Colquhoun, the logistics of staging a webcast are relatively simple, thanks to the support of Stretch Internet. He says the conference looked at eight to 10 proposals before signing on with Stretch.
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we haven’t celebrated ourselves to the level we should,” says Engen. “To that end we have restructured the office here and really put more of a focus on bringing Horns Athletics up to the elite level we believe it should be.” Students snapped up Herd passes last year to the tune of 250 members, many of which were in their first year. For $30 they get into every Horns game, a Herd t-shirt and a variety of promotional items. Engen looks to grow the club exponentially, which is essential to maintaining a solid base of support for Horns Athletics. “What we want to do is create a foundation of strong and consistent student support, so that we don’t have to rely on an undefeated season or something special to pack our stands. If we have that base support, regardless
“They provide us with all the software we need,” he says. “We literally need to have somebody running the camera and whatever else we want to do with it is up to us. Their software allows us to interlay some stats and so forth and as we learn how to work with it, we’ll probably be able to do a little more.” It’s up to member schools as to whether they will include playby-play description of the games. Colquhoun says that, at least for the first year, the Horns will go with picture only. “What’s great about it is that it provides one place where any Canada West fan of any school can go and find the webcasts,” he says. “It’s not a different location for every school or every sport as it may have been in the past, it’s all in one place and hopefully we will expand fans of the whole Canada West product as a result.”
of how we’re doing in the standings, then we can really ride that wave when one of the teams goes on a big run,” he says. If the program can retain its 250 subscribers from last year and add a similar number this fall with an influx of more new students, the Herd will virtually double in size. “One thing we want to do a better job of is promoting the Herd throughout the year,” says Engen, who will introduce Herdfest, an outdoor tailgate party in the middle of October. “It’s finding a way to keep momentum going throughout the year and to keep them excited.” Pronghorn Pride is alive and well and if Engen gets his wish, there will be more fans than ever showing their support at Horns games all season long.
G E T T H E FA C T S • Available at http://canadawest.tv, the first game broadcast on the new network was the Sept. 2 Canada West football game between the Regina Rams and UBC Thunderbirds. • The Horns debut on the network Sept. 30 when the men’s hockey team hosts the University of Saskatchewan. • The Canada West basketball season begins Nov. 4. Pronghorn fans will be able to watch the Horns on the road at the University of Winnipeg.
the Legend COLLABORATIVE WORK THE RESULT OF VISIT
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 11
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UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE
Hunt ready for Registrar’s role BY TREVOR KENNEY
D Boise State professor Dr. Jeri Bigbee.
BY BOB COONEY A recent visit to the U of L by a noted American expert in rural health has opened the door for more cross border collaborations. As the University’s first Fulbright Scholar in Health Sciences, Boise State University (BSU) researcher Dr. Jeri Bigbee spent the summer on campus and in the region meeting colleagues and touring numerous communities, including nearby First Nations, to get a sense of how rural nursing functions in southern Alberta. A Nurse Practitioner and Jody DeMeyer Endowed Chair at BSU, Bigbee earned her doctorate from the University of Texas in Austin and has been a nurse educator since 1980 in Wyoming, Nevada and California. Her research areas include rural nursing and human resource issues, in particular comparing the number of nurses in a particular region to population rates and health outcomes; it is the first time that health outcome data is available at the county level in the United States leading to future opportunities to examine health status more fully. She linked this research to her time at the U of L, and hopes to conduct comparative research in rural areas in Alberta. “A major difference I encountered during my time in southern Alberta was in relation to the public support for universal health care,” says Bigbee. “Canada has been an international leader in this area and the U.S. has a great deal to learn as we struggle with this issue. As well, it was quite helpful to find that rural community residents and health care providers are creative, innovative and welcoming.” U of L Health Sciences researcher Judith Kulig found a kindred spirit and colleague in Bigbee, who she met while she was a visiting scholar in Idaho in 2010. “On a personal level, it was nice to have someone as interested in rural health as I am, and it was really interesting to look at two different health care systems and see similarities in rural health care deficiencies,” says Kulig. “Her visit brought new ideas to our students and faculty members, because she understands small cities and nursing programs in those settings, as well as rural area care and services.” Kulig says that rural Canada covers approximately 90 per cent of the geographical expanse of the country and has a very large population base. “About six million people live in rural areas in Canada, but only 18 per cent of all RNs in Canada provide care to this group,” she says. “It was very interesting to have Jeri’s perspective on this issue, which is common in both the U.S. and Canada.” Bigbee says that she had a wonderful time and greatly enjoyed exploring southern Alberta. “I had a fabulous experience here, and my interactions with the faculty, students and community members provided me with valuable comparative insights related to rural health care delivery and nursing education. I will use these insights in my continuing research and advocacy related to rural health.”
on Hunt is no stranger to change, in fact he has embraced it his entire life. So, as Hunt takes over the role of University Registrar with an eye on moving the office forward, don’t be surprised if a little bit of change is in the forecast. “This is a young institution, everything is changing right now, there’s a lot of turnover in some relatively senior positions so for me, this is the perfect opportunity to come in,” says Hunt. Most recently from Cleveland, Ohio, Hunt is from here, there and everywhere. Born in East St. Louis, Ill., he’s lived in nine different U.S. states, a host of foreign countries and now Canada. Part of his wanderlust can be attributed to his eight-year career in the U.S. military but the majority is Hunt’s innate desire to experience life and seek out new challenges. “Mostly it was just exploring, getting my feet wet and enjoying life,” he says. “It’s one of the reasons I was not afraid to jump the border and try something new by coming to Canada.” Hunt joined the military directly out of high school, seeking a means to get to college. He began a bachelor’s degree in business administration while still serving, with a future goal of becoming an accountant. It became a lesson in patience and perseverance for Hunt as he continued to try and satisfy his degree requirements while taking classes at various colleges related to where he was stationed. “It took me 18 years to get my first degree,” says Hunt, who worked in the accounting field long before he had his accreditation. “Eventually I had gotten too far in the industry to go back and do a CPA program because I would have had to start again as an intern – and that just didn’t make sense.” After transitioning to the technology side of the accounting business, Hunt started working for a tech company that designed software for accounting purposes. One arm of the business was to install and then service systems in higher educational settings, and after completing a master’s degree in technology, Hunt jumped at the opportunity to work in
Don Hunt is excited about the opportunities he sees as the new University Registrar.
higher education. His first look at the work of a registrar was an interim appointment at Cleveland State University. Less than a year later he found a permanent home as deputy registrar at another Cleveland school, Case Western Reserve, and another career path was born.
there for another 10 to 15 years so you really have to be ready to take on the opportunity wherever it presents itself. I didn’t limit myself.” The U of L was one opportunity that emerged, along with positions in the UK and Australia.
“The idea of where the institution wants to go as a whole, moving to a very customer-centred, destination university – all those things I could get behind.” DON HUNT
“It was great to see what life was like on the other side of the fence,” says Hunt. “I had always thought it would be nice to see a project through, rather than go in, implement a system and then move on to the next client. This time I actually had the opportunity to implement something and stay to see it through.” After four-plus years at Case Western, Hunt sought a head registrar’s role and put no limits on his search parameters. “In our industry, registrars are generally a terminal position. Because of what you need to be responsible for, the academic records of the institution, having that historical knowledge lends itself to people staying in that role,” says Hunt. “Opportunities pop up and they won’t be
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“What sold me was the vision for the institution as both (Vice-President, Academic) Andy Hakin and (President) Mike Mahon laid it out,” says Hunt. “The idea of where the institution wants to go as a whole, moving to a very customer-centred, destination university – all those things I could get behind.” He sees the Registrar’s Office as an excellent opportunity for advancing those ideals. “When you look at this operation, it’s really in its infancy,” says Hunt. “We are still manually driven where there is technology available that we already own. Let’s put this technology in place and see how we can increase our self-service portfolio. Let’s put in the tools to minimize
G E T T H E FA C T S • Hunt’s highest rank in the military was corporal. He served in Germany, the U.S. and during both the Grenada and Honduras conflicts. • A tennis enthusiast, Hunt is also looking to play squash and racquetball this winter and adds, “I’ll even give curling a go, why not?” • In addition to his bachelor’s degree in business administration, he also has a master’s degree in technology, both from University of Maryland University College. • One of his first orders of business will be to reduce student traffic to the Registrar’s Office. “That front counter gets way too much traffic, realistically, for today’s times. Students expect self service 24/7, and so why not make it as available to them as possible?” the workload, not only for my staff, but also for faculty and students. Let’s clear all the hoops they have to go through.” Hunt knows all too well what it’s like to jump through hoops, and he’s determined to use that experience to minimize that process for everyone else.
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the Legend
UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE
Bookstore, students benefit from revamped system
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y re-engineering business processes in the University Bookstore, U of L students and bookstore staff will see a dramatic shift in the way textbooks are reserved and supplied – one that was a long time coming. “It was old technology they were using and very inefficient for both the bookstore and those of us who had to maintain the system,” says web team member Josh Schroeder, who spent more than six weeks revamping and modernizing the antiquated Textfinder and Text Reservation systems. Bookstore manager Annette Bright says she and her staff are thrilled with the improvements. “The opportunity to have a custom program developed for us was very exciting. It really allowed us to ask ourselves, ‘What would it mean if we could do this or that?’” One of the custom features that Schroeder developed during the rebuild was a mobile version of Textfinder. When students now use their smartphones to scan a QR (quick response) code from posters within the bookstore, they are directed to the mobile version of Textfinder, allowing them to bypass the kiosk and the early semester line-ups that inevitably develop. The QR code was also posted at New
FUN RUN TO BENEFIT LOCAL KIDSPORT The Get to Know You Fun Run gains status as an annual event this fall when the University community gathers Saturday, Sept. 24 to challenge the scenic 5K campus course. The run debuted as an installation event for President Mike Mahon and his wife Maureen last year and proved to be very popular, with more than 80 people taking part. It prompted organizers to look at the run as an annual opportunity to gather the University community for an activity that promotes health and wellness, all the while lending support to a local charitable organization. This year, all proceeds raised will go to support the local chapter of KidSport, an organization that provides support to children in order to remove financial barriers that prevent
Student Orientation, allowing students to quickly capture their textbook lists. Where students will really see a difference is in the Textbook Reservation system. Previously, students were required to fill out forms online, identify the books they needed, and whether or not they wanted them in new, used or rented form. The bookstore would take all these orders via e-mail and then shut down for two days to process all the orders. “We felt we could make that a lot more efficient for them and improve the workflow,” says Schroeder. Bright and her staff have already seen a major difference. “The ability to streamline the otherwise cumbersome portion of the Text Reservation program was our goal. Josh was able to turn our wish list into reality and we’re now able to capture information quickly and assist with student questions more readily,” says Bright. The end-to-end, textbookordering process now simply requires the student to log in, complete a reservation form, and the costs of the texts are charged to their student accounts. Orders are boxed, labeled with a reservation ID number, and barcoded. The former use of spreadsheets has given way to a slick
them from playing organized sports. “We wanted it to be a local charity and something that fits with the theme of physical fitness and promoting an active community,” says Dr. Jennifer Copeland, Chair of the run organizing committee. “We also want to continue to foster that community relationship the University has established with Lethbridge and southern Alberta.” The inaugural event drew participants from both the University as well as the community as a whole. Copeland says the course is designed to give runners a look at the entire University campus, possibly showing people areas they’ve never seen before. “People often come to campus for a very specific reason, and they rarely ever wander around. We designed the course to take in parts of campus that they might not usually get to, like the Breezeway and around Aperture Lake
Boxes of books sit stacked, waiting for students to pick them up and complete their purchasing process.
database that can be queried. Flags have been added in the system to indicate to staff when orders are filled and boxed, and another to indicate if the order has been picked up. As the books move through the reservation workflow, barcodes on the boxes are scanned to update the status of each student’s reservation. The project has produced a three-way win. For students, Textfinder is now more userfriendly and accurate; for staff,
and so on,” she says. “We also wanted to feature our new buildings such as the Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building, Markin Hall and the new addition to the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, so it gives people the opportunity to see what’s new on campus.” Registration for the event is $15 per person and can be done by contacting Sport and Recreation Services (403-3292706, www.uleth.ca/sportrec). Copeland says to keep in mind that the event is a fun run/walk and is open to everyone. “Lots of people walked the course last year and had a great time with it,” she says, adding there were a number of strollers being pushed around the course. “It’s not a super-competitive event. We will have a clock this year so that people can chart their times but we’re not issuing any official times. It’s whatever you want to make of it.” Live music will be featured at the finish line, along with refreshments and, if last year was any indication, a number of excellent draw prizes. As well, the first 75 registrants will receive a special Fun Run hat. “It’s a lot of fun, a great way to really see the campus and a reason to get out and be active for a good cause.”
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the extensive compilation of various lists from e-mails, faxes, phone calls and walk-ups have been eliminated; and for the Web Team, the built-in selfservice elements for users have lessened the amount of required maintenance to the system. Schroeder says the process should be reliable for several years, and is flexible enough to refine and improve as necessary. “We have already requested some changes in the reporting
and they were available within minutes,” says Bright. This serves as an excellent example of how business process re-engineering can remedy inefficiencies. “It improves student and customer satisfaction, and reduces cost to the University,” concludes Chief Information Officer, Clark Ferguson.
ENCORE SYSTEM CREATES MORE USER-FRIENDLY SEARCHES
their initial results, that narrow down their search field. Users can also add their own tags to create meaningful categorizations, allowing people to denote items appropriate for projects, classes or otherwise. These tags are then also searchable. For example, an instructor can label certain books with a specific class name and then tell students to search by that class name to bring up the relevant list of assigned books. “We are excited to present this innovative new feature to the University of Lethbridge community,” says Wendy Merkley, associate University librarian, Information Systems & Technical Services. “Many libraries are moving toward these next-generation catalogues and most patrons find them much more user-friendly and intuitive than the old-style library catalogues.” Those who prefer the old system need not fear; a link to it can be found on the Encore results page, entitled classic catalogue. The library welcomes comments and suggestions about the new system. To provide feedback, contact library staff via the Comments and Replies link from the self-serve menu on the University Library home page (www.uleth.ca/lib).
BY NICOLE EVA The University of Lethbridge Library has acquired a new library catalogue that promises to open a whole new world to users. Encore is a new search interface that brings together results from books, articles and local digital collections in one location. Previously, the library catalogue searched only for books, while journal articles needed to be searched in the databases. This one-stop search box makes the process much more user-friendly. While not every database can be searched through Encore, it does bring up many relevant articles based on the keywords used from the main interdisciplinary databases held by the library. This ‘one box’ way of searching reflects the preferences of many of today’s users, who are used to the simplicity of sites like Google and Amazon. A nice feature of Encore is the many refinement options (such as year and subject) provided to the searcher, based on
the Legend
OUR
alumni
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 11
Lewis a perfect fit for Alumni post
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UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE
WALKER ON THE FAST TRACK
Kathy Lewis is the new president of the University of Lethbridge Alumni Association.
BY STACY SEGUIN
J
oking that some might call her career path “checkered” – she prefers eclectic – retired nurse, Kathy Lewis (BN ’83, MEd ’99) is both nervous and excited to take on the role of University of Lethbridge Alumni Association (ULAA) president this year. Lewis began her nursing career in the early 1970s after receiving her RN certificate from the Holy Cross School of Nursing, but a phone call from a University recruiting officer would lead Lewis to explore a whole new world of possibilities. “I was married, had two young children and was working as a nursing sessional instructor at the Lethbridge Community College. The University was just starting the nursing program and I was asked to enrol. I remember thinking, ‘Gee, why are you contacting me?’ I really didn’t feel that I had what it took academically, but you know the old saying: success breeds success. I found myself completing courses and did very well. I surprised myself,” says Lewis, who completed her BN (with distinction) in 1983. With an undergraduate degree in hand, Lewis says doors opened to her that had formerly been closed. She landed a job as a discharge planning co-ordinator for St. Mike’s Hospital and eventually began working as a home care co-ordinator for the Lethbridge Health Unit. Working as a sexuality educator and counsellor in the 1990s, Lewis decided to pursue her master’s degree. “I had always liked the teaching part of my job so I opted for a master’s in education at the U of L. My supervising professor was Dr. Cynthia Chambers. She was such an inspiration; she had a lot of life experience as a wife, mother, educator and writer and she
brought that experience to the classroom,” says Lewis. “By coincidence, Ron Chambers taught me my last class, which was a drama elective. It was one of the most rewarding classes I had in all my University time. Here I was, almost 50, and I found myself in class pretending to be a cow. “That is what the university does; it gives you that opportunity to open up to a broad range of ideas, people, experiences and possibilities.” Despite her busy schedule with family, work and schooling, Lewis has always made community service a priority in her life. She has served on various boards, including the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, the Lethbridge Community Band Society and the Allied Arts Council, and has been a canvasser for a variety of different organizations such as the Canadian Diabetes Association. In 2002 she was nominated to the University Senate to which she dedicated six years of service. In 2008, while attending a Senate meeting, Lewis volunteered to join the ULAA. “It was not in my life plan to be on the Alumni Council, but the University is such a positive force, certainly in my life and in the community. It is a major employer in the region, we have excellent research going on, wonderful fine arts and contribute to educating our population. I often say that Lethbridge is a different place because people in the 1960s had a vision. We can be proud of that and proud of the people who made all this happen,” says Lewis. “Being a part of the ULAA is a valuable opportunity. I am very much a believer in working together; where we may have shortcomings in experience or knowledge, others fill in. Together we all contribute to the betterment of our society.” During the past two years
G E T T H E FA C T S • Lewis is a proud mother and grandmother. • A member of ULAA since 2008, she served as ULAA vice-president from 2009 to 2011. • Lewis plays clarinet with the Lethbridge Community Band Society, and is also a former concert planner. • Lewis is a former ESL tutor with the Lethbridge Public Library. • In 2009 she completed her RN re-certification through Grant MacEwan University. the ULAA has revised its constitution and by-laws to ensure that the association continues moving in the right direction, maintaining its focus on building relationships with the community, students and alumni. “In Spring 2012, thanks to the hard work of Cheryl Meheden and her committee, we will be launching a Fiat Lux ring as part of our 45th Anniversary celebration at the U of L. We hope every alumnus will want to have one and wear it with pride,” says Lewis. “Our alumni chapters are essential. Together we are over 32,000 strong. We are represented on the Board of Governors, the Senate and many University committees. Our voice is at the table of decisionmaking and our participation is vital to the success of this institution. I would encourage each alum that when the timing is right and the opportunity to get involved knocks – open the door.”
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Alumna Jillian Walker is quickly building off her U of L education as she takes a key position with Elevated HR Solutions.
University of Lethbridge alumna Jillian Walker (BMgt ’11) is elevating her career to new heights, having just accepted an important position with Calgary-based human resources firm Elevated HR Solutions. As a mature student at the U of L’s Calgary campus, Walker was already a human resources professional while pursuing her degree. She has since parlayed her business savvy into a job as vicepresident of client experience, and will help to open a new Vancouver office based on the Calgary model. Lorne Williams, Calgary campus instructor, says, “It is exciting to hear of Jill’s appointment into this amazing position. As one of our top graduates, she’ll bring energy, motivation, creativity and commitment to anything she undertakes.” Walker, who was most recently employed as an engagement specialist for the City of Calgary, says her experience working for a large organization gave her “the opportunity to transfer to new departments and go on projects within human resources to continually broaden my skillset.” In that time she worked with managers who “taught me an incredible amount about human resources, life, family and friends. I learned about what I value in an employer/manager.” Walker pursued the position with Elevated HR because she was eager for change and an opportunity to grow professionally. “I knew that it would evolve and I would have the opportunity to utilize my strengths in a challenging
and creative organization,” she says. Walker is fresh off a first-place win in the KPMGsponsored What Makes a Top-10 Employer student video contest. In addition to an Apple iPad, she was given the opportunity to travel to Toronto to meet with the KPMG CEO as well as CEOs from Rogers Communications, Steam Whistle Brewing Company, Gap Adventures and Starbucks Coffee. While in Toronto, Walker maximized her opportunity and also managed to meet with other corporate representatives. She is grateful for the valuable experience, which helped her solidify her career goals. “It gave me more credibility in my industry – it was face time with a lot of people that I wouldn’t otherwise have had access to,” she says. “It further developed my personal brand and what I was passionate about.” Walker also credits her time at the U of L for helping her make important connections to the business world. “If I take away anything from my experience, it was meeting instructors Dr. Kelly Williams-Whitt and Lorne Williams. Those people and those contacts, having those two in my life and having them support me these three years has been incredible,” she says. “They are truly in the profession and in the industry for the right reasons. They had my back through everything.” Walker is relocating to Vancouver this fall to commence her new position.
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UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE
H E A LT H
& wellness
Getting back into a routine of wellness BY SUZANNE MCINTOSH
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he Wellness Committee was hard at work throughout the summer months, planning our Wellness programs and goals for the next three years. Committee members attended a Wellness Planning Retreat in July – we got off campus for a half-day – where we reviewed the Wellness Vision and Mission Statement. We asked questions such as, “Should we be changing our focus and what are our next steps?” We also had the opportunity to learn how to play disc golf from Dan Berte (Risk and Safety Services) and Dr. Jon Doan (Kinesiology). It was a bit of a challenge to get that disc into the target but proved to be lots of fun! We have been working closely with Alberta Health Services on their Workplace Health Improvement Project (WHIP). The U of L has been chosen to partner with Alberta Health, other employers and the government to enhance our efforts towards effective workplace health improvement. In the meantime, it is that time of year again where
we get back to school, back to work and back to routines that hopefully include wellness and fitness. Have you ever noticed that when you are in a routine, things just seem to flow easier? Although summer is one of my favorite months, I tend to go to the gym sporadically and eating healthy seems to fall by the wayside. If you are having a hard time getting back into your healthy routines, here are a few suggestions and activities that will help get you back on track. Health Check for U This is a great way to assess your general health status, and help you set some manageable health or fitness goals. We still have room for participants. Contact wellness@ uleth.ca for more information or to register. If you have been through the program before, feel free to come back and have a second or third screening. This is also a great way to find out if your past goals are being met. This service is free to U of L employees. Ergonomic assessment Poor office set up and
poor posture while working long hours at the computer is a recipe for pain and discomfort, as well as longer-term health issues. Some of the problems that can arise are: neck and upper back pain, pain and numbness down the arm, fatigue and headaches. Here is a link to simple ergonomic adjustments you can make yourself (www. wcb.ab.ca/pdfs/public/office_ergo.pdf). You can also contact me to set up an office assessment. It only takes about 30 minutes and can stop problems before they start. Stretching Take a few minutes throughout your day to stretch. The U of L Stretch and Strengthen program has been designed with U in mind (www.uleth.ca/hum/wellness/ PDF/Stretch_and_Strengthen_Program092410.pdf). The benefits of stretching include improved fitness and health, improved productivity and morale, improved job satisfaction and reduced stress and back injuries. Fun run Sign up for the Get to Know U 5K Fun Run, Satur-
day, Sept. 24 at 10 a.m. The cost is $15 per person and includes post-run refreshments, a souvenir and a chance to win great prizes. All proceeds go to KidSport Alberta. Dr. Jennifer Copeland (kinesiology) has designed a training plan to be able to run/walk the 5K in a month. See www.uleth.ca/ hum/wellness for copies of the plan. Lunch and Learn The first two Lunch and Learn sessions are on tap this month. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Society (DHHS) will be on campus Tuesday, Sept. 20 to present How to Work and Interact with Individuals Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. The session is at 11 a.m. in D633. Financial Health and Wellness is the focus of the Thursday, Sept. 22 session. It runs from noon to 1 p.m. in AH100. As always, I look forward to any comments, suggestions or questions. Suzanne McIntosh is the wellness co-ordinator for the University of Lethbridge
HONORARY DEGREE NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR SPRING AND FALL 2012 The University of Lethbridge Senate is collecting nominations for the Spring and Fall 2012 Honorary Degrees, and is appealing to southern Alberta community groups to nominate individuals who have made a local, regional or worldwide impact on society. “Our honorary degrees act as a mirror. We’re looking to show the face of the region, the nation and the international community by honoring the best of what people give to their fellow human beings,” says Alex Hann, Chair of the Honorary Degree Search Committee. “Our recipients are those people who work hard to
make a difference, through involvement in the community and charitable organizations. These extraordinary individuals are a vital part of the convocation process, as they celebrate alongside our own graduands and show them what is possible for those who seek to make the world a better place.”
ALUMS BRING COMEDIC PLAY TO LETHBRIDGE
Story to Lethbridge Sept. 17, a show that will play at the Sterndale Bennett Theatre. The Accidental Humour Co. is a theatre company founded by U of L alumni that has been producing hilarious plays over recent years that have had audiences in stitches. Brent Felzien (BFA ’06), Wil-
A group of eight University of Lethbridge alumni is bringing Cowboy: A Cowboy
“Our recipients are those people who work hard to make a difference.”
The University will honour two individuals at the Fall Convocation ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 15. They are from vastly different walks of life, but share a common interest in helping people. Dr. John Kloppenborg, who works on the origins of Gospel narratives in the New Testament, has fundamentally reshaped New Testament studies and the history of early Christianity. He will be honoured along with Lethbridge resident George Gemer, who survived World War II prisoner of war camps to become a skilled draftsman and internationally acclaimed track and field coach and official.
To be eligible for Spring and Fall 2012 Convocations, nominations must be received by Nov. 1, 2011 at the University Senate Office (A767), 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 3M4. To obtain a nomination form, please call the Senate Office at 403-329-2482. The University of Lethbridge Senate selects recipients from nominations provided by members of the general public and the University community. The Senate is empowered to confer honorary degrees by the Universities Act of Alberta. Additional information is available at the Senate website: http://www.uleth.ca/sen
lie Banfield (BFA ’06), Kim Stadelmann (BFA ’06), Neil LeGrandeur (BFA ’06), Cliff Kelly (BFA ’06), Frazer Andrews (BFA ’06), Jeremy Mason (BFA ’05) and Neil James (BFA ’04) make up Accidental Humour Co. Cowboy: A Cowboy Story recently appeared at the
Edmonton Fringe Festival and played to sold out crowds. It also received four and fivestar reviews from critics. The play appears at the Sterndale Bennett Theatre for one night only, Saturday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the Ticket Centre or by calling 403-329-7328.
ALEX HANN
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the Legend HEALTH CENTRE PLAYS VITAL ROLE IN MAINTAINING A SAFE AND CARING ENVIRONMENT BY LORI WEBER Occasionally I am asked, “Why is there a Health Centre on campus?” Given that I don’t mind talking about my favourite issue of health, I am only too glad to provide an answer! The focus on one’s personal health and fostering a sense of community health is very important within a university setting. In order to be able to focus on the demands of academia, learning and living, health concerns need to be addressed. The on campus University of Lethbridge Health Centre provides pro-active health education, on-site medical services, first aid co-ordination and assistance with health insurance to students, staff and faculty. The Health Centre also provides an opportunity for its clients, which are primarily students, to be able to deal with their health issues in a safe and caring environment. The Health Centre provides appointments with physicians for any health concern and yearly physicals Monday through Friday during the academic year. In a time when finding a family physician is increasingly difficult and walk-in clinics can be extremely busy, the Health Centre provides much needed medical services. A student has only to call 403-329-2484 or visit SU 020 to make an appointment. The Health Centre also provides psychiatrist services (physician specialists who focus on mental health) to students who need to focus on a previously diagnosed mental health issue or are searching for solutions to existing symptoms. Our chiropractor has been here for 12 years and provides chiropractic services; as well, massage therapists provide registered massage therapy services several times per week. The nurses at the Health Centre are kept busy with health education, health assessments and first aid/immediate care health needs. We also assist with referrals to off-campus medical services. The Health Centre exists to assist people with their health issues so that they have the energy to live each day to the fullest. Health is a balance of the physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual aspects of a person’s life. If you would like to find out more about the Health Centre and its services or how we could assist you, please talk to us or pick up a health services booklet at the Health Centre or at the pamphlet racks around campus. Or, just give me a call at 403-3292483. Have a safe and healthy fall semester. Lori Weber is the manager of the University of Lethbridge Health Centre
the Legend
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UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE
events C A L E N D A R Pronghorn Athletics
Oct. 3 | Art Now: Mandy Espezel Noon, University Recital Hall (W570)
Sept. 18 | Canada West Soccer Calgary vs. Horns Women’s game, noon; Men’s game, 2 p.m. Community Sports Stadium
Oct. 3 | Architecture & Design now: Studio Junction | 6:15 p.m., M1040
Sept. 24 | Canada West Soccer Victoria vs. Horns Women’s game, noon; Men’s game, 2 p.m. Community Sports Stadium Sept. 25 | Canada West Soccer Fraser Valley vs. Horns Women’s game, noon; Men’s game, 2 p.m. Community Sports Stadium Sept. 30, Oct. 1 | Canada West Men’s Hockey | Saskatchewan vs. Horns 7 p.m., Nicholas Sheran Arena
Sept. 22 | Owen G. Holmes Lectures: Eugenie Scott | Why Evolution is Difficult: An American Perspective | 7 p.m., PE250 Sept. 23 | Art Now: Robyn Moody Noon, University Recital Hall (W570)
Oct. 4 | Music at Noon: Musaeus String Quartet | 12:15 p.m., University Recital Hall (W570)
Sept. 26 | Art Now: Denton Fredrickson Noon, University Recital Hall (W570) Sept. 26 | Architecture & Design Now: Eric Toker | 6:15 p.m., M1040
Lectures
Sept. 28 | Art Now: Kegan McFadden Noon, University Recital Hall (W570)
Sept. 15 | Linda Griffiths Reads & Writes Linda Griffiths reads from her plays and talks about her career in Canadian theatre 7 p.m., David Spinks Theatre
Sept. 29 | F.E.L. Priestley Lectures: Mark Abley | Imagination and the Power of Language | 7 p.m., L1060
Sept. 16 | Art Now: Lyndal Osborne Noon, University Recital Hall (W570)
Sept. 30 | Art Now: Michael Campbell Noon, University Recital Hall (W570)
Sept. 19 | Art Now: Catherine Ross Noon, University Recital Hall (W570)
Oct. 2 | Canada West Rugby Alberta vs. Horns 1 p.m., Community Sports Stadium
Miscellaneous
Sept. 19 | Architecture & Design Now: Gerald Forseth | 6:15 p.m., M1040 Sept. 21 | Art Now: Markus Andresson & Chen Tamir | Noon, University Recital Hall (W570)
Sept. 15-24 | Cereal Gen (Food Series) Gallery exhibit focusing on the scientific and economic issues related to farming Main Gallery and Helen Christou Gallery Opening Reception, Sept. 15, 4 p.m.
Sept. 27 | Music at Noon: Dale Ketcheson (guitar) 12:15 p.m., University Recital Hall (W570)
Sept. 21 | Discovery Lecture Series: Marion Nestle What to Eat: Personal Responsibility vs. Social Responsibility | 7 p.m., University Recital Hall (W570)
Sept. 17 | Culture Vulture Saturday Modern Still-Life | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., University Hall Atrium
Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 | TheatreXtra: R & J: An Original Performance Creation Inspired by Shakespeare’s text, this is a new take on an enduring classic | Nightly 8 p.m., Oct. 1, 2 p.m. matinee, David Spinks Theatre
Sept. 22 | Prentice Brownbag Series: Does the Buck Stop? The Never Ending Great Recession | Panel discussion featuring Dr. Trevor Harrison, Dr. Susan McDaniel and Dr. John Usher | Noon, L1102
Performances Sept. 20 | Music at Noon: Dr. Jane Leibel (soprano) and Dr. Maureen Volk (piano) 12:15 p.m., University Recital Hall (W570)
SU EVENTS, THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT BY KYLE DODGSON As the halls of the University of Lethbridge fill with both new and returning students, a familiar, incessant hum accompanies them – the tunes and tones of mobile devices. Smartphones and mobile devices have become an integral part of campus life and this month, looking to capitalize on this trend, the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union (ULSU) unveils its new mobile application. The brainchild of SU vice president academic Andrew Williams, the mobile application
traces its roots back to December 2010 when Williams was a member of the ULSU General Assembly. “I noticed that an increasing number of universities were building and releasing iPhone applications that allowed students to access maps, news, events and other informational items on the go. It was something I really wanted to bring to the University of Lethbridge,” says Williams. Over the ensuing months, Williams researched numerous application developers and created a detailed document covering all aspects of development and implementation. He then presented his proposal to the Executive Council and General Assembly. Despite initially receiving a lukewarm reception, Williams continued developing
Sept. 19 | Alberta Rural Development Network Information Session Paul Watson discusses funding and networking opportunities | 1:30 p.m., B640
the project. Once he was elected to the VP academic office, Williams received an offer from Canadian developer CollegeMobile, who sought to develop the proposed application for a much lower cost
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Sept. 20 | Wellness Lunch & Learn How to Work and Interact with People who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing 11 a.m., D633 Sept. 22 | Wellness Lunch & Learn Your Financial Health with Judy Schrempf, Financial Health Club | 12:05 p.m., Andy’s Place (AH100) Sept. 22 | NSERC Information Session Frank Nolan, Research and Innovation Development Officer for NSERC will discuss initiatives from NSERC’s research partnerships programs, Engage Grants and Partnership Workshops Program Noon, D610 Sept. 24 | Get To Know U Fun Run 5K charity run throughout the University campus 10 a.m., 1st Choice Savings Centre Sept. 28 | Fiat Lux Presidential Address President Mike Mahon speaks to the University community 3 p.m., University Theatre Sept. 28 | New Media Film Series: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Introductory lecture by U of L faculty member 6:30 p.m., Lethbridge Public Library Theatre Oct. 1 | Culture Vulture Saturday Button-Making & DodoLab 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., University Hall Atrium Oct. 1 | New Media Film Series: The Social Network Introductory lecture by U of L faculty member 6:30 p.m., Lethbridge Public Library Theatre
than other competing developers. “I worked together with the incoming council and the SU staff for about a month on the final details of the application until we had something we were all satisfied and comfortable with,” says Williams. “Since then, I’ve been beta testing each version of the application to make sure there are no errors in the final product.” The mobile app delivers up-to-date information on ULSU events and news, information on every council member, Pronghorns athletic events, an interactive campus map and it integrates both Moodle and Facebook. “I think that most students will be surprised at how much information it contains and how easy it is to navigate,” says Williams.
The ULSU Mobile App is another building block in the Executive Council’s strategic initiatives, reinforcing its aspiration to boost the ULSU’s on-campus presence, improve communication and promote sustainability on campus. “The goal of the application is to allow the ULSU to communicate with students through a medium which has become a part of everyday life for most of them,” says Williams. “Best of all, the application is free, and I think students will find it to be extremely useful and convenient.” The ULSU Mobile App is available for download from the Apple, Android and Blackberry App stores.
the Legend in focus DODOLAB PROVOKES REFLECTION Cereal Gen to take over gallery S E P T E M B E R 2 0 11
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UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE
FINE ARTS
Inspired by research into local cookbooks, menus and almanacs in the Galt Museum & Archives, and local businesses including Sick’s Brewery and Crystal Dairy, DodoLab creates a series of playful events that provoke critical reflection about food as a key component of community identity and social interaction. DodoLab is in Lethbridge from Oct. 1-6 for the public project The Important Things to Know About Eating and Drinking (in Lethbridge). Artists Andrew Hunter and Lisa Hirmer are sure to provide something thought provoking and out of the ordinary. This project is part of the Food series organized by the U of L Art Gallery in conjunction with the Liberal Education Program. Cereal Gen is the second exhibition in the U of L Art Gallery’s Food Series.
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onsisting of elaborate installations that play with the forms and technology common in scientific laboratories, Cereal Gen features recent work by two Alberta artists that addresses social and economic issues related to seed production and farming. Cereal Gen is the second exhibition in the U of L Art Gallery’s Food series. The Helen Christou Gallery portion also includes work from the U of L Art Collection. The Cereal Gen runs Sept. 15 to Oct. 24 in the Main Gallery, and Sept. 15 to Oct. 21 in the Helen Christou Gallery. There will be a reception on Thursday, Sept. 15, 4 to 6 p.m., and Coffee’s On at the Gallery Wednesday, Oct. 5, 9 to 10:30 a.m. Edmonton artist Lyndal Osborne updates her installation Endless Forms Most Beautiful, which uses a combination of
organic and inorganic materials to create a laboratory setting for genetic modification. “The nine massive seedpods appear to be undergoing the main techniques used in GMO science: developing tumours, electricity and injection with a gene gun,” explains Dr. Josephine Mills, curator/director for the U of L Art Gallery. Osborne describes herself as an archaeologist seeking and retrieving discarded fragments of the urban environment and dried out remains of natures’ seasons. “Her combination of materials create brightly coloured, gigantic replicas of organic forms, which result in a visually engaging and thought provoking installation,” says Mills. Emerging Calgary artist Alex Moon presents components of his Unifarm project, including a lab space in the Main Gallery and corporate artefacts in the
Helen Christou Gallery. “Over the past two years, Moon has been addressing a shift to the corporate approach to farming, particularly around the control of seeds for food-producing plants,” says Mills. “He creates quirky performances, videos and installations built around his fictional Unifarm Corporation.” Moon uses early Mac computers and related 1980s technology as the basis for the “high tech” equipment offered by the corporation. “By playing with objects and imagery that was once cuttingedge, but now clearly out-dated, assists in questioning the authority and certainty posed by current corporate farm science,” she adds. The Food series was organized in conjunction with the Liberal Education Program, which is offering a course titled Food: A Critical Examination, taught by Bruce McKay, this fall.
CULTURE VULTURE TACKLES FOOD Are you hungry for art? Come to the U of L Art Gallery on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for Culture Vulture Saturday and draw yourself some food! The first Culture Vulture of the school year, in conjunction with the Gallery’s Food Series, is sure to inspire artists of all ages to see food in new ways as they put pencil to paper. “Most depictions of food in art are still-life studies from the masters, such as bowls of fruit on a table,” says Rosalind Jeffrey, Culture Vulture program co-ordinator. “We wanted to explore what a still-life would look like today – what kinds of foods do we have that are easily accessible and say something about our culture?” Jeffrey adds that artists have the opportunity to choose from a selection of available objects that include food items and more, such as technological gadgets and knick-knacks. “Over the years, we have sculpted, painted, built objects and made collages, but we haven’t done a lot of drawing at Culture Vulture,” remarks Jeffrey. “This is a fun way to spend your Saturday – walking through the Gallery talking to our staff about the current exhibit, Cereal Gen, enjoying some refreshments and making some really cool art.” Everyone is invited, supplies are provided and, as always, it’s free.
FILM SERIES OPENS SEPT. 28 THEATREXTRA OFFERS TWIST ON CLASSIC The tragic tale of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is transformed as TheatreXtra raises the curtain on a new season with R & J, An Original Performance Creation. This remarkable adaptation, brought to life by MFA candidate Sean Guist, plays Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. nightly (with a 2 p.m. matinee Oct. 1) in the David Spinks Theatre. Featuring original songs and dances, R & J is an engaging exploration of theatricality. “Our creation is a deconstruction of Shakespeare’s timeless romantic tragedy. I was inspired by Gounod’s opera and Baz Luhrman’s film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, and decided to create and direct my own version for TheatreXtra,” says Guist. “While the majority of the text is Shakespeare’s, some also comes from Luhrman’s film, and some is mine and the cast’s creation.” Three diverse couples pres-
ent unique versions of the story: a modern-day Romeo and Juliet who communicate only through movement; a same-sex couple in the Victorian era; and two teenagers in 17th century France. “The story of Romeo and Juliet has been interpreted in so many ways and across different mediums,” Guist says. “R & J is told through each of these very different couples across different time periods. Because this is a creation piece, we get to create how we tell this story. The involvement of the actors is integral to the development of their characters.”
Entering the second year of his MFA program with a focus in directing and performance creation, Guist is no stranger to the TheatreXtra stage. He directed The Playground in 2006 as an undergraduate student. “TheatreXtra is a great opportunity to do theatre that normally isn’t produced on a main stage,” he says. “It allows students to play and experiment on stage – it’s exciting to be involved again.” Tickets for TheatreXtra’s premiere production of the season go on sale Sept. 12 at the University Box Office.
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Anyone who appreciates good film is sure to love the New Media Film Series, which kicks off with a showing of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lethbridge Public Library Theatre. The New Media Film Series presents an eclectic and enjoyable array of movies for adults. It is a perfect opportunity to watch and talk about great film created in the past decade, and it occurs each month from September through April. “We’ve selected films that have been influenced by changing technologies and incorporate contemporary filmmaking techniques, including films that are relevant to studies in the Department of New Media,” says Aaron Taylor, Film Series co-ordinator. “The evenings start with an introductory lecture by a guest faculty member to discuss points of interest in the film and what to look for when we watch it. There is also a question and answer session afterwards. We expect this year to be as interesting and engaging as last year’s series.” Taylor believes the first film of the series, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, will spark great discussion. “I was pleasantly blown away by this film,” he says. “It’s the first and best example of a movie that’s interested in figuring out convergences of video gaming as a cultural pursuit and a playful form of representation.” He notes that Hollywood has reached out to the gaming market in the last decade and this film presents that relationship in a charming way. Film aficionados can look forward to more great films during the series including The Social Network, Requiem for a Dream, Passenger Side and a screening of The Tree of Life. A complete list of offerings of New Media Film Series can be found at uleth.ca/finearts. Admission is always free!
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Joanne Tod, Sandwich, 1994. From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Sandra Simpson, 1998.
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Joanne Tod, Flood Plain, 1993. From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Sandra Simpson, 1998.
As an intern at the University of Lethbridge Art Gallery, I have been given the incredible opportunity to become more familiar with the institution’s extensive art collection. In my third year of an Art History/ Museum Studies major, I have just scratched the surface in gaining knowledge about the University’s collection, which numbers over 14,000 objects. Of all these artworks, some of the most striking that I have seen are by Joanne Tod. Educated in the mid-1970s at Toronto’s Ontario College of Art and Design, Tod pursued painting as her primary practice. Tod first gained critical attention in 1982 with her participation in the Toronto exhibition Monumenta. In a time when painting was considered to be ethically unjustifiable, she pushed the limits and brought out controversial subjects pertaining to identity, power, racism and cultural imperialism. Tod constantly used
unlikely combinations of subject matter, text and curious titles that were filled with clues to remind the viewer of the tricks a painting can pull on them. I think some of Tod’s most interesting artworks come from her later series where she extends her strategies and experiments technically with the stretched canvas. In Sandwich (1994) and Flood Plain (1993), she fragments the pictorial space further by creating a doublelayered stretched canvas and incorporating semi-transparent nylon to literally make a division between the foreground and background of the painting. I hope to come across more remarkable contemporary Canadian artists’ works, like that of Joanne Tod, as I continue studying the University’s significant art collection.
Allison Spencer Museum Studies Intern Faculty of Fine Arts