Mount Royal University Summit Fall/Winter 2020

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Health care with heart FALL / WINTER

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PHOTOS BY CHAO ZHANG

In 2020, Mount Royal is celebrating those who have daringly pushed the boundaries in all aspects of their lives. The Alumni Achievement Award recipients include a pioneering nurse, a courageous hotel operator, a community-focused police officer and a rising filmmaker. All have helped advance their professions and improve society through serving others first. They are each an example of what is possible when the focus is on uplifting

The Alumni Achievement Awards are presented in four categories: The Lifetime Distinguished Achievement Award recognizes alumni at the culmination of their careers who have brought honour to their profession and alma mater.

The Outstanding Alumni Award acknowledges alumni who demonstrate exceptional achievements in their fields and/or community.

The Horizon Award recognizes outstanding achievements of alumni early in their careers.

The Outstanding Future Alumni Award is given to a current student who has made significant contributions to the University or wider community and exemplifies the leadership and ambassador qualities of our alumni community.

others to embody what it means to be Mount Royal University alumni.

Watch the recipients tell their stories at mru.ca/AAA2020.

LIFETIME DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Anne (Porter) Kendrew is a member of Mount Royal’s first graduating class of nurses (1969), and transformed how care is provided to very ill babies and their parents.

Immediately after leaving Mount Royal, Kendrew accepted nursing positions in Edmonton and the Northwest Territories before moving home to Calgary to start at the Holy Cross Hospital in the Intensive Care Nursery (ICN), as it was called then. After a stint in labour and delivery, Kendrew became manager of the ICN, and stayed in that position for a decade.

“Those years were really the highlight of my career. We had such a wonderful team of doctors, nurses and educators,” Kendrew says.

At the time, parents were not allowed to see their children in the ICN. “They were alone,” Kendrew says. This led her to fight for the implementation of the perinatal bereavement support program, which helps parents properly grieve their terminally ill children by giving them the opportunity to hold and say goodbye to their babies in their last moments.

“They could die with dignity,” Kendrew says. “There would always be someone there with them.”

Kendrew also worked to establish the Cuddlers program, which is still in use today. She explains that babies would often be in the ICN for several weeks and parents could not be there all the time. The Cuddlers program trains volunteers to hold infants to provide them the benefits of warmth and touch.

Both programs went against traditional practice and Kendrew and her colleagues worked tirelessly to advocate for these new approaches towards maternal and infant care.

Continued on page 6

NURSING DIPLOMA, 1969

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OUTSTANDING ALUMNI AWARD — COMMUNITY SERVICE

Travis Juska knew early on that he wanted to be a police officer. “There’s always been a very deeprooted belief in my life that this is what I was put here to do.”

With that goal firmly in mind, Juska came to Mount Royal after high school to take justice studies, living and working on campus. He was hired by the Calgary Police Service (CPS) just as he turned 21. “(Policing) is a wonderful vessel to us to make positive change,” Juska says. Crediting an upbringing around people who always emphasized the value of community, Juska says, “I find that when I can help others … that is the most motivating thing for me in my life.”

Now a staff sergeant, Juska trains, leads and mentors colleagues. He has worked patrol in several different districts in the city and also been on the recruiting side. Notably, he was part of the CPS team that launched ConnectLine.ca in 2019, a resource supporting those affected by domestic violence. The app allows people to find and contact appropriate agencies quickly, and was used more than 60,000 times in its first year.

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BACHELOR OF APPLIED JUSTICE STUDIES, 2006

OUTSTANDING ALUMNI AWARD — PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

PUBLIC RELATIONS DIPLOMA, 1995

Sharilyn Amy knows that the first step to encourage support for a worthy cause is to raise awareness, and she has used her Mount Royal public relations training to do exactly that.

Mount Royal taught Amy how to position stories in a way that make people care. This skill, as well as a passion for connections, has served her well throughout her career as an advocate and an entrepreneur. She remembers the public relations program as demanding, but worthwhile.

“You realize they’ve prepared you to succeed in not only a corporate environment, but in a variety of situations where you need to balance competing interests,” she says.

Amy has worked all over the world, first with the Red Cross, then building a number of businesses and volunteering within her community. Currently she is the developer and owner of Océano Patagonia: Wild Coast Residence, an ecofriendly hotel on the Argentine coast in Puerto Pirámides, Patagonia. Amy and her business partner made sure the hotel was developed sustainably with a community development focus and it has won awards for its innovation.

Continued on page 6

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(Sinakson) HORIZON AWARD

Trevor Solway spent Saturday mornings with his grandfather, listening to the stories of his Blackfoot people. He sees storytelling as a huge part of his culture that continuously motivates him.

“It inspires me to pull that (creative) energy out of myself,” Solway says.

Already a budding amateur filmmaker when he came to Mount Royal to join the journalism program, Solway’s first major success behind the lens came in 2013 when he was working for Siksika Media. Along with huge parts of southern Alberta, his home community of the Siksika Nation flooded, causing Solway to instinctively grab a camera and start interviewing people about their experiences.

The resulting documentary, Siksika Strong, ended up helping raise several thousand dollars towards recovery.

It was a process that taught him compassion, and one that was also eye-opening, he says.

“That documentary gave people the chance to go back and revisit those feelings that they didn’t have time to process. It taught me a lesson that filmmaking is very powerful. It can be a medium for healing and a method for people to really understand themselves.”

Solway’s time at Mount Royal nurtured his natural storytelling skills, he says.

Continued on page 7

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BACHELOR OF COMMUNICATION — JOURNALISM, 2017

OUTSTANDING FUTURE ALUMNI AWARD

BACHELOR OF ARTS — ENGLISH

The list of Nathan Lawley’s accomplishments is so extensive that it seems he must be using a timealtering device. Otherwise, how could one person find the time to be involved in so many meaningful initiatives, volunteer, work and maintain an aboveaverage GPA? The answer to Lawley’s magic lies elsewhere, however, in a combination of hard work, dedication and empathy that has had a ripple effect throughout MRU since he began in the Bachelor of Arts — English program.

Lawley has dedicated his time and efforts towards multiple roles integral to the student community. He has volunteered extensively in peer support with the Students’ Association of Mount Royal University’s (SAMRU) Pride Centre and was a Planning and Implementation Committee member. As assistant vice-president academic, Lawley was the first student to be elected as the deputy speaker for the General Faculties Council.

After winning the position of vice-president academic for the students’ association in 2019, Lawley says he is proud of how his team handled a difficult 2019/2020 academic year, and that he learned to follow his own instincts as an advocate for his fellow students.

Continued on page 7

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Anne (Porter) Kendrew

Travis Juska

Sharilyn Amy

Continued from page 1

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Continued from page 3

She says, “If you have a vision, if you have a conviction about something that needs to be done, do whatever you can to fulfill it. It means lives, and can turn sorrow into joy for many people.”

Kendrew’s instructors during her nursing studies at Mount Royal possessed knowledge, showed kindness, had the ability to get things done and offered constant encouragement, she says. They taught her to listen carefully to patients and gave her the confidence needed to not be afraid to ask questions and always keep learning. Fifty years after leaving Mount Royal, Kendrew was the honoured speaker at the pinning ceremony for the 2019 cohort of nursing graduates.

“Kendrew’s quiet but strong leadership skills enabled her to become a manager of a neonatal unit, where she created change that made a significant impact on patients and families, particularly in the area of bereaved parents,” says Associate Professor Marg Olfert, who nominated Kendrew for this award and teaches in Mount Royal’s School of Nursing and Midwifery.

On top of his full-time job, Juska has dedicated more than 10,000 hours of volunteer work over the last 15 years.

He has coached underprivileged youth in sports, participated in early literacy programs, taken part in a cross-Canada walk to support victims of crime, and worked with the Special Olympics and the Salvation Army.

“Strengthening our community can be tremendously rewarding, and if we all shoulder some of that burden we can make change,” he says.

To this day, Juska recalls with vivid precision many of the discussions he had — both in-class and one-on-one with his professors and instructors — about the criminal justice field.

“The older I get, I see more and more the impact Mount Royal has had on my life. When I’m dealing with an offender on the street and the concept of restorative justice comes up, I go straight to conversations I had at Mount Royal.”

Juska has continued to stay connected with MRU, participating in a number of advisory groups over the years. For students, Juska says, “Put values and visions first. If you pick an organization that mirrors your values, you’ll be successful.”

Amy’s principled commitment to ethical business practices served her well when she and her business partner were pressured to succumb to bribery and corruption while building Océano Patagonia. They made the difficult and dangerous decision not only to resist these elements, but to work closely with the justice system in a covert sting operation. Because of their work, two people have been charged, several others identified and additional charges are pending that will further dismember the operations of this organized criminal network. They are now working closely with all levels of government, the diplomatic community and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to help support greater business transparency and fight corruption in Argentina and globally.

Amy credits Mount Royal for providing a keen sense of how important community is.

“I light up by connecting and inspiring people,” she says.

“I do that by supporting women-led business, humanitarian aid or running a hotel,” and by aligning everything she does with her personal beliefs.

For her incredible contributions to the care of mothers and infants, her dedication to building empathy and connection with patients, and commitment to passing it on to future generations of nurses, Anne (Porter) Kendrew is this year’s recipient of the Lifetime Distinguished Achievement Award.

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For going above and beyond to use his role in the community for good both on the job and off, Travis Juska is the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award — Community Service.

For using her skills and abilities to build awareness for worthy causes while fighting for justice, as well as her dedication to sustainability and innovation, Sharilyn Amy is the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Alumni Award — Professional Achievement.

Trevor Solway (Sinakson)

Nathan Lawley

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Tending to work in a genre he calls “dramedy,” a combination of drama and comedy, Solway believes that a sense of humour has been fundamental for his people’s resilience. Filmmaking can be a way for the Indigenous to take control of their own image, he says. His 2016 film Indian Giver, about a father who abandoned his family for 20 years and expected to be treated as though everything was normal upon his return, has been screened at film festivals around the world.

To encourage Indigenous stories being told by Indigenous Peoples, for several years Solway ran a summer film camp at Siksika. Upon graduation from Mount Royal, he turned that camp into the Napi Collective, a grassroots filmmaking society with the hopes of developing the next generation of Indigenous filmmakers and talent.

“I try to take on the role of producer or mentor,” Solway says. Since their inception in 2018, the group has made five narrative films.

Solway’s advice to his mentees and students is: “Ideas are great, but you have to act on those ideas. Lead with your heart: your spirit will be balanced and happy.”

One of the areas where Lawley’s dedication and influence shines the strongest is his support and advocacy for the LGBTQ2+ community. He has generously shared his own story as an out transgender person, presented on the importance of respecting students’ pronouns in the classroom, encouraged a safe space for students to realize their full potential and used his position in student government to speak on topics relevant to the transgender community.

“My ability to be visible safely on the MRU campus is a privilege, which I hope I use to encourage those in my community who may be struggling with feelings of inadequacy or a lack of safety,” Lawley says.

One of the most meaningful, and most challenging, roles that Lawley plays is his involvement in SAMRU’s annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, when he curates a list of the hundreds of names of transgender people murdered by acts of violence in the previous 12 months, later displayed in a space of reflection.

“The stories of each person’s life press on me and remind me how much there still is left to do and how people are required to stand behind those who have less,” Lawley says.

For displaying a devotion to his community and creativity, and for striking out on his own so early in his career, Trevor Solway is this year’s recipient of the Horizon Award.

For his commitment to equality, inclusion and his fellow students, Nathan Lawley is the Outstanding Future Alumni Award recipient for 2020.

HORIZON AWARD Savannah Blakley Peter Njongwe Jeremy Shannon Mike Wenzlawe

OUTSTANDING ALUMNI AWARD Shirzaan Gaidhar Amanda Hamilton Erin MacLean-Berko Kiara Mikita Rebecca Morante Jordan Primeau Kevin Read Grace Yan

LIFETIME DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT Roy Bear Chief Devant Maharaj Ian Radzichowsky Ken Shields

DO YOU KNOW A FELLOW CLASSMATE OF MOUNT ROYAL COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY DOING GREAT THINGS? Nominate a deserving alumna or alumnus for the 2021 Alumni Achievement Awards at mru.ca/AAA.

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FR O M

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PR E S I D EN T

They expressed their hopes it could be different. IT MUST. Mount Royal University condemns racism against those who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC). We stand with Black Lives Matter (BLM). To do so does not detract from our enduring commitment to academic freedom or freedom of expression.

With the BLM movement, BIPOC faculty, staff, students and alumni bravely shared with me their experience of racism in general and at Mount Royal.

They expressed their hopes it could be different. It was humbling.

I have formed a President’s Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to gather shared life experiences, learn from experts and determine the work that needs to take place.

We can not disappoint those hoping for it to be different. To stop racism broadly, we must start nearby — in the Mount Royal community. Mount Royal University is an inclusive community, yet we can make strides in strengthening it.

I am committed to doing this.

Tim Rahilly, PhD President and Vice-Chancellor Mount Royal University

You can provide your thoughts to the committee by emailing comments@mtroyal.ca

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VICE–PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT Paul Rossmann ASSOCIATE VICE–PRESIDENT, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Melanie Rogers DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS Andrea Ranson DIRECTOR, MARKETING Dave McLean Summit is published in the fall and spring of each year with a circulation of approximately 60,000.

Each issue features the exceptional alumni, students, faculty and supporters who make up the Mount Royal community. Summit tells the University’s ongoing story of the provision of an outstanding undergraduate education through personalized learning opportunities, a commitment to quality teaching, a focus on practical outcomes and a true dedication to community responsiveness. Celebrate yourself through Summit.

ISSN 1929-8757 Summit Publications Mail Agreement #40064310 Return undeliverables to: Mount Royal University 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW Calgary, AB, Canada T3E 6K6 Enjoy Summit online by visiting mru.ca/Summit.

If you would like us to deliver a print copy to your office or home, simply email summit@mtroyal.ca.

Mount Royal University is located in the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of the Treaty 7 region in southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyâhe Nakoda. The city of Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation.

Sustainably yours.

FSC

Edmonton Bulletin article from Oct. 21, 1918 regarding mask-wearing during the Spanish flu pandemic.

Courtesy of the Provincial Archives of Alberta, A13187.

Meet the team EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Paul Rossmann EDITOR Michelle Bodnar BCMM (Applied) ’05 PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT Deb Abramson Journalism Diploma ’77 MARKETING AND EDITORIAL COORDINATION Bailey Turnbull

ART DIRECTOR Michal Waissmann BCMM (Applied) ’07 DESIGN Leslie Blondahl BCMM ’14 Astri Do Rego Mike Poon Michal Waissmann Chao Zhang PHOTOGRAPHY Chao Zhang ILLUSTRATIONS Astri Do Rego Mike Poon

CONTRIBUTORS Jonathan Anderson BCMM ’13 Michelle Bodnar Geoff Crane BCMM ’14 Marlena Cross Peter Glenn Ruth Myles Anna Parks Rob Petrollini BCMM (Applied) ’07 Andrea Ranson Melissa Rolfe Hooda Sadden Zachary Worden

COPY EDITORS Matthew Fox Andrea Ranson Public Relations Diploma ’85

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CO N T EN T S

In this issue 8

From the President

| 12

Bleed Blue

| 20

Introducing the Chancellor

| 21

Research snapshots

| 48

Alumni Q&A

F E AT U R E S:

34

Health care with heart Nurses tend to represent the “care” side of health care, but their jobs are technical, demanding and necessary. The world needs more nurses and Mount Royal is poised to provide them.

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1 2020 Alumni Achievement Awards The 2020 Alumni Achievement Award recipients include a pioneering nurse, a community-focused police officer, a courageous hotel operator and a rising filmmaker.

24 The supply chain sequence Before the COVID-19 pandemic, few of us understood what a “supply chain” really was. But then all the toilet paper, hand sanitizer and Lysol wipes disappeared.

N OW

A PPE A R I N G

Alumni in this issue

42 28 Coming to a nuclear understanding Two Mount Royal experts debate the pros and cons of nuclear energy, which just may be one of our best hopes for combating climate change.

How to succeed in the gig economy Gone are the days when you got one job and stuck with it through to retirement.

More and more Canadians are employed in piece work, or “gigs,” which allow for flexibility, but also come with a lot of risk.

Sharilyn Amy Tiffany Harrison Public Relations Diploma, 1995 Bachelor of Midwifery, 2015 Roy Bear Chief Social Work Diploma, 1994 Mackenzie Bedford Bachelor of Business Administration — Marketing, 2018 Jordan Bird Bachelor of Science — Health Science, 2020

Kira Hawes Bachelor of Communication — Public Relations, 2019

Justin Nicholson Bachelor of Science — Health Science, 2020 Peter Njongwe Bachelor of Science

Sarah Howden Bachelor of Arts — English, 2016

Alannah Page Bachelor of Communication — Journalism, 2019

Jenny Howe Broadcasting Diploma, 2006

Jordan Primeau Bachelor of Arts — Sociology, 2012

Don Ingram Vanessa Boila Business Administration Bachelor of Arts — Psychology Diploma, 1965 (Honours), 2019 Travis Juska Ellie Campbell Bachelor of Applied Justice Bachelor of Science — Health Studies, 2006 Science, 2019 Anne (Porter) Kendrew Denise Chenger Nursing Diploma, 1969 Business Administration Jacinthe Koddo Diploma, 1995 Bachelor of Applied Interior Bachelor of Applied Design, 2006 Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 1998 Erin MacLean-Berko Conservatory — Music Michelle Chimenti Performance Diploma, 2004 Social Work Diploma, 2016 Jillian Mah Savannah Cruz Bachelor of Communication — Bachelor of Health and Information Design, 2020 Physical Education — Physical Literacy, 2020 Devant Maharaj University Transfer Program Sara Czerwonka Bachelor of Communication — Ormhel Manuel Information Design, 2020 Bachelor of Business Administration — General Rose De Souza Management, 2018 Bachelor of Communication — Journalism, 2020 Bryce Mapletoft Bachelor of Applied Business Ryan Doel Administration — International Bachelor of Computer Business and Supply Chain Information Systems, 2020 Management, 2007 Business Administration John Dominic Diploma — Marketing Bachelor of Nursing, 2009 Management, 2004 Margo Elliot Stephanie Martens Bachelor of Health and Bachelor of Midwifery, 2015 Physical Education — Physical Literacy, 2020 Chandra Martini Bachelor of Midwifery, 2019 Shirzaan (Shen) Gaidhar Business Administration Kiara Mikita Certificate, 2005 Bachelor of Applied Justice Studies, 2003 Sarah Green Bachelor of Communication — Rebecca Morante Journalism, 2020 Bachelor of Nursing, 2004

Stefan Radeta Bachelor of Computer Information Systems, 2019 Ian Radzichowsky Environmental Technology Diploma, 1995 Kevin Read Bachelor of Applied Business and Entrepreneurship, 2004 Amy Rintoul Bachelor of Communication — Information Design, 2020 Jan Ronel Santiago Bachelor of Business Administration — Accounting, 2020 Derek Rucki Bachelor of Business Administration — General Management Cameron Saik Bachelor of Business Administration — General Management and Marketing, 2020 Jeremy Shannon Bachelor of Arts — English, 2017 Ken Shields General Arts and Science Trevor Solway Bachelor of Communication — Journalism, 2017 Chris Sterling Bachelor of Nursing, 2017 Jessica Swain Bachelor of Midwifery, 2016 Jenn Whyte Bachelor of Nursing, 2018

Stephanie Hagenaars Bachelor of Communication — Journalism, 2020

Peter Morrison Bachelor of Arts — Criminal Justice, 2018

Andrea Wong Bachelor of Communication — Journalism, 2020

Amanda Hamilton Bachelor of Applied Interior Design, 2005

Andrew Nguyen Bachelor of Nursing, 2020

Jamieson Zunti Bachelor of Arts — Anthropology, 2020

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Bleed Blue I N G EN I O U S

These are just a few highlights from the past six months at MRU, where there has been something to celebrate just about every day — even at a distance. Want to know what's happening at your alma mater? Go to mru.ca/AlumniEvents.

I D E A S

Mount Royal students' business startups get financial footing The eighth-annual JMH LaunchPad Pitch Competition saw Mount Royal University students flexing their entrepreneurial muscle for a slice of $80,000 in awards and services dedicated to bolstering business startups. The event is hosted by the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and received support from JMH & Co., LaBarge Weinstein and Grant Design.

During the competition students pitched their businesses online to a panel of savvy and experienced judges in hopes of receiving support for their innovative ideas. Students who received awards or services-in-kind to support their business ideas included:

Brett Miller — Dodge Queue

Ryan Doel ­— Paintabotics

Awarded: $5,000 from the Institute

Awarded: $10,000

for Innovation and

from JMH & Co.;

Entrepreneurship;

a spot in Platform Calgary’s student summer incubator

Karina Zapata and Sarah Green — Femme Handbook Awarded: $10,000 from JMH & Co.

I N D I G EN O U S

Peter Morrison — Home Service

Logan Grasby — Quest Climbing Awarded: $10,000

Awarded: $5,000

from JMH & Co.

a spot in Platform

from the Institute

and $15,000 from

Calgary’s student

for Innovation and

Grant Design

summer incubator

Entrepreneurship

I N I T I AT I V E S

Strategic plan report highlights growth In 2016, Mount Royal launched a five-year Indigenous Strategic Plan, committing to indigenizing the campus, respecting and embracing Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing, integrating Indigenous teachings and practises into the classroom and honouring Indigenous experiences and identities.

A 2019 report to the community on the University's progress towards achieving the plan’s goals recognized contributions from students, community partners, researchers, employees and donors.

Highlighted was growth in self-identified Indigenous student enrolment as well as their retention rate from first to second year. Stories included a Blackfoot language app, an online tool to support reconciliation and a donation from David and Leslie Bissett that doubled campus Indigenous housing.

Also mentioned was the election of an Indigenous student, Spirit River Striped Wolf (Piikani Nation), as president of the Students’ Association of Mount Royal University.

Read more about the report at mru.ca/2019IndigenousCommunityReport.

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SU S TA I N A B I L I T Y

SU CC E S S

Reaching for the 'STARS' Mount Royal earned a "high-silver" in its first year of applying to the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. STARS advocates for sustainability in post-secondary institutions internationally.

The University scored high in areas including research, inter-campus collaboration, community partnerships, innovation, continuing education and sustainability co-ordination.

Sustainability is a cross-campus effort championed by Facilities Management and the Institute for Environmental Sustainability.

The silver rating also allows Mount Royal to measure sustainability on campus.

“We can see areas where we’re doing really well, and areas that need improvement and can strategize accordingly," said Jessica Russell, project analyst in Facilities Management and the overall lead for the application.

"If we weren’t tracking something, we put measures in place.”

I N C R ED I B L E

CO N T R I B U T I O N

Nursing receives more than $1 million Two families with intrinsic ties to health care and a commitment to exceptional learning opportunities have made a deep and long-lasting contribution to Mount Royal’s School of Nursing and Midwifery. President and CEO of Perpetual Energy and a family member representing the Riddell Family Charitable Foundation, Sue Riddell Rose, as well as family member and representative of the Brawn Family Foundation, nursing alumna Jenn Whyte, have together produced a remarkable gift of more than $1 million.

Funds will be allocated to expand and enhance training aids and technologies in the Nursing Simulation Lab to reflect a greater diversity of patient population, with a strong

focus on seniors’ care. Three new teaching manikins will be provided for students, with one to represent an older patient, in addition to accessories that will help replicate the delivery of care to seniors. Cameras, webcams and audio equipment will also be upgraded.

Two additional opportunities include the creation of a four-year Seniors Health Teaching Chair as well as the implementation of a standardized patient program using trained volunteers to help students develop non-technical skills such as empathy, family-centred care, shared decision making, communication and assessment of clinical skills.

Students engaged in emergency room or intensive care unit scenarios within the safe space of the Immersion Studio at the Riddell Library and Learning Centre.

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FAC U LT Y

Delivering outstanding teaching and learning experiences Eleven Mount Royal faculty members were celebrated with Distinguished Faculty and Research Recognition Awards this year.

The Distinguished Faculty Awards recognize Mount Royal professors and instructors who are breaking ground in the classroom, as well as in service and scholarly activity.

The Research Recognition Awards are designed to salute those who have made a significant contribution to the foundation of inquiry in their academic and professional fields.

Nominations are submitted by the recipients’ peers and students.

2020 RECIPIENTS OF THE DISTINGUISHED FACULTY AWARDS

» Mohamed El Hussein

SCHOOL OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY

» Michelle Yeo, PhD

ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

» Maki Motapanyane, PhD DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES

» Ritesh Narayan

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS, JUSTICE AND POLICY STUDIES

» Shelley Ann Rathie

DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL MANAGEMENT AND HUMAN RESOURCES

2020 RECIPIENTS OF THE RESEARCH RECOGNITION AWARDS

» Lynne Lafave, PhD

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AWARD

» Gabrielle Lindstrom, PhD EMERGING SCHOLAR AWARD

» John Mee, PhD

EMERGING SCHOLAR AWARD

» Lynn Moorman, PhD

KNOWLEDGE MOBILIZATION AWARD

» Christy Tomkins-Lane, PhD

A LU M N I

D O N O R

Gifts of time and resources Life is filled with moments of opportunity that often are ignored or unnoticed … or taken. One such moment for Assistant Professor Denise Chenger, PhD, was when she was reading an article in her first copy of the then-Mount Royal College alumni magazine, Reflections.

That story would be a catalyst for her career pursuits, and gained her a mentor and a friend.

Inside was a piece written by Don Ingram, senior vice-president and lead officer of Husky. Ingram is also an alumnus of Mount Royal's Business Administration Diploma program.

“As I recall, the focus of the article was to bring attention to current students and their need for financial support in the form of scholarships,” Chenger said.

After graduating from Mount Royal with a Business Administration Diploma — Human Resources and a Bachelor of Applied Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Chenger had applied to Husky. While waiting to hear about the job, she took a chance and reached out to Ingram to arrange a meeting. To her surprise, he accepted.

During their meeting, Chenger

expressed her interest in working at Husky while also pledging her first paycheque to the scholarship drive about which Ingram had written.

Ingram later recalls being impressed with Chenger, especially with her thought processes and enthusiasm.

Her promised gift didn’t guarantee her the position, but after careful consideration and ensuring that her qualifications matched the requirements, Changer got the job and subsequently made her first donation to Mount Royal in 1999.

Since working at Husky, Denise achieved her PhD and returned to MRU to teach supply chain management at the Bissett School of Business.

Ingram’s article made Chenger realize the importance of supporting student awards for the sake of encouraging an educated, empathetic population.

“It was my turn to start giving back.

It’s a cycle that you don’t understand when you are young, but grows in importance as you age.”

RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP EXCELLENCE AWARD

» Ashok Krishnamurthy, PhD UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AND

SCHOLARSHIP SUPERVISION AWARD

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Impact the life of a student forever.

Visit us at mru.ca/Giving.

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Transitional Vocational Program celebrates major anniversary

Deep dives result in research recognition

Mount Royal professor named Calgary’s Poet Laureate

Mount Royal’s Transitional Vocational Program (TVP) has now been providing personalized learning supporting adults with developmental disabilities for four decades.

It’s a milestone the whole community can celebrate, said Craig Baskett, program administrator with the Faculty of Continuing Education and Extension.

“Our students are an integral part of Mount Royal and have been since 1980.

TVP embodies the University’s values of student-focused learning, community and inclusion,” Baskett said. “The heart of the program is our one-year Employment Preparation Certificate, which involves oncampus instruction with work practicums."

While TVP’s annual Big Bob’s BBQ fundraiser was cancelled due to COVID-19, donations can be directed to the program through the Mount Royal University Foundation at mru.ca/Giving. Choose "MRU other fund" under "Fund Allocation" and then specify "TVP Operating" under "Additional Information."

“We couldn’t be more proud of everything our students have achieved and the staff who have supported them along the way."

The fifth-annual Library Awards for Research Excellence saw three individuals recognized for their outstanding scholarly projects this year. Separate committees made up of two Library and three external faculty members judged submissions in senior and group categories, which must include an essay reflecting on the research process and what was learned.

Bachelor of Arts — Psychology (Honours) graduate Vanessa Boila (top) took home the Senior Award for her project, "The Mere Presence of a Cell Phone and Academic Ability." Boila examined the impact that having a phone has on students and their work.

Fourth-year information design students Sara Czerwonka (bottom left) and Amy Rintoul (bottom right) won the Group Award for their work on reducing barriers that prevent Calgarians from committing to cycling as a form of sustainable transportation. Named "Navigating Calgary by Bike," their research revealed that identifying barriers cyclists face is the first step in being able to identify leverage points in the system.

Mount Royal English professor, Natalie Meisner, PhD, was announced as Calgary’s 2020–2022 Poet Laureate in April. The Calgary Poet Laureate serves as an artistic ambassador for the city, presenting at civic events, creating literary work to represent Calgary and its citizens, and finding hope through the use of language.

Meisner teaches literature and creative writing at Mount Royal while also serving as the University’s director of changemaking. She is the third Mount Royal faculty member to serve as poet laureate, following Derek Beaulieu (2014– 2016) and Micheline Maylor (2016–2018).

A poet, playwright, author, scholar and teacher, among Meisner’s list of publications is a book of poems (Baddie One Shoe), a children’s book (My Mommy, My Mama, My Brother & Me), a semi-autobiographical novel (Double Pregnant: Two Lesbians Make a Family) and three plays.

Meisner's works are open, honest, funny and approachable, with threads of fairness, kindness and shared values.

We missed you this year!

SAVE THE DATE SEPT. 23 - 25, 2021

mru.ca/AlumniWeekend

Stay in touch with our bi-weekly webinar series at mru.ca/AlumniEvents featuring alumni making their mark in the world.

MRU.CA /SUMMIT

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B L EED

B LU E

PR O B L EM

S O LV ED

National finals reached during final year at MRU Mount Royal’s fourth-annual Map the System competition challenged students to tackle a social, economic or environmental problem by thinking about its wider context and contributing factors. Students are expected to apply different skill sets as they think of problem-solving through a process documenting the full complexity of an issue.

The winning team investigated the question: “Is Canadian charity designed to fail?” and was made up of the following individuals:

» Jillian Mah

BACHELOR OF COMMUNICATION — INFORMATION DESIGN

» Ashley Dion

BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION — GENERAL MANAGEMENT, MINOR IN SOCIAL INNOVATION

Take a student under your wing and volunteer for the

Harry G. Schaefer Mentorship Program

» Matthew Taburada

BACHELOR OF ARTS — BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES (AMBROSE UNIVERSITY)

The event originated at the University of Oxford four years ago. Mount Royal students have made it to the global final, hosted by the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship in Oxford, every year so far and won the top prize in 2018.

Develop or enhance your leadership skills, utilize your talents, share your expertise and contribute to a student's success through meaningful mentorship relationships.

mru.ca/BeAMentor

C H A R T I N G

H I S TO RY

Mount Royal faculty project documenting life during COVID-19 Mount Royal Library faculty members have been recording the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on personal, academic and community life. The project has created a resource for teaching, learning and future research on living through a pandemic.

Titled Documenting the Pandemic: MRU Community Experiences of Life During COVID-19, the project is using input from Mount Royal community members about how their

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lives have changed. By collecting participants’ photos, essays, journals, videos, oral histories or creative work, project leads Peter Houston and Alice Swabey of the Riddell Library and Learning Centre are preserving these experiences in the Library's Archives and Special Collections.

Anyone can submit digital objects related to their COVID-19 experience, which are then posted in a gallery at mru.ca/COVIDSubmissions.

I N T ER N AT I O N A L

E X PER I EN C E S

Queen Elizabeth scholarships sends students abroad Three Bachelor of Health and Physical Education — Physical Literacy students turned the Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships program (QES) into a life-changing experience.

The scholarship fund was awarded to Mount Royal University in 2018 in partnership with Commonwealth Games Canada. It provides up to $82,000 in support of 12 international internships ($6,000 each) for qualified students. The students are placed at Commonwealth Games sites.

Fifth-year student Savannah Cruz, third-year student Aleia Robin (pictured) and fourth-year student Margo Elliot were the three recipients of the QES last year. Cruz and Robin travelled to Botswana, while Elliot had the opportunity to work and live in the Turks and Caicos islands.

Third-year student and QES recipient Aleia Robin in Botswana

AC A D EM I C

A L L-S TA R S

Graduates take home Centennial, Governor General’s Medals

CENTENNIAL GOLD MEDAL RECIPIENTS:

Six Mount Royal students have been recognized for their outstanding academic achievements during their time at the University. Four received Mount Royal’s Centennial Gold Medal, which is awarded to graduating students from diploma and degree programs with a cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher and who demonstrated leadership through involvement in campus and community activities.

The other two awards were the Governor General’s medals, which are given to graduating students with the highest average from their respective schools across four levels. The collegiate bronze medal is awarded to post-secondary students graduating from diploma programs and the silver to graduating undergraduate students.

M E N TA L

H E A LT H

» Andrew Nguyen

BACHELOR OF NURSING, 2020

» Jan Ronel Santiago BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ­— ACCOUNTING, 2020

» Jamieson Zunti

BACHELOR OF ARTS — ANTHROPOLOGY, 2020

GOVERNOR GENERAL’S COLLEGIATE BRONZE MEDAL RECIPIENT

» Jordan Pandarinath AVIATION DIPLOMA, 2020

GOVERNOR GENERAL’S SILVER MEDAL RECIPIENT

» Sarah Green BACHELOR OF

COMMUNICATION — JOURNALISM, 2020

» Justin Nicholson

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE — HEALTH SCIENCE, 2020

M AT T E R S

Research suggests effects from disasters stretches to 10 years Caroline McDonald-Harker, PhD, director of the Centre for Community Disaster Research and associate professor of sociology at Mount Royal, says that there will be an impact on people’s mental health well after the COVID-19 pandemic is over. Her research has revealed that the negative effects a disaster have on mental health can last for up to 10 years.

According to McDonald-Harker, it is important for people to check in with one another, and themselves, every day as the pandemic continues, and to recognize that people will be at different stages of managing the situation in their own lives.

Everyone from young children to adults should start having these conversations. Using her findings following the Fort McMurray wildfires, McDonald-Harker discovered that children who had the opportunity to talk about their feelings were more resilient and could use challenges as a chance for growth instead of serving as barriers.

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You did what?

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MRU AWARDED FIRST NEW FRONTIERS IN RESEARCH FUND (NFRF) AWARD

Professor Michael Uzoka, PhD, and coinvestigators Professor Joseph Osuji, PhD, and Assistant Professor Yasaman Amannejad, PhD, received Mount Royal’s first-ever NFRF award for their cross-disciplinary project titled “A system for diagnosing and treating febrile diseases by lay health workers in resource-scarce settings.”

4

MRU EMPLOYEE NAMED ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR

Manager of Academic Advising for Enrolment Services Shea Ellingham received the Administrator of the Year award at the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) Region 8 Conference. NACADA represents the global advising community and maintains professional standards for advisors.

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2

INDUSTRY-LEADING TRAINING IN COVID-19 CLEANING STANDARDS

Administrative Manager of Environmental Services Rebeka Bertram received specialized training in standards for cleaning, disinfecting and PPE (personal protection equipment) from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council. The training included prevention, infection control and contamination control for infectious disease outbreaks.

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SSHRC 2020 INSIGHT GRANT RECIPIENTS

Humanities professor Ada Jaarsma, PhD (right), and education professors Kevin O’Connor, PhD (left), and Gladys Sterenberg, PhD (top), received the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s Insight Grant, which supports research excellence in the social sciences and humanities.

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STEPPING UP TO STOP SEXUAL VIOLENCE

Registered Social Worker Michelle Chimenti, who is a Social Work Diploma alumna, is back in the Stepping Up program coordinator role to support research focusing on healthy relationships and the prevention of dating, domestic and sexual violence.

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HEALTH, COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION STUDENTS RECOGNIZED AS NATIONAL LEADERS

Fourth-year Bachelor of Nursing student Andrew Nguyen (left), third-year Bachelor of Child Studies student Samantha Petite (not shown) and third-year Bachelor of Health and Physical Education student Taylor Tsakoza (right) were selected as recipients of the National Student Leadership Award in Health, Community and Education from the Canadian Association of Health Sciences Deans.

A LU M N I ,

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RESEARCH AWARD GOES TO HEALTH SCIENCE GRADUATE

Bachelor of Science — Health Science graduate Jordan Bird (pictured) has garnered the prestigious Barbara A. Horwitz and John M. Horowitz Undergraduate Research Award. Bird submitted an abstract titled “Severity of central sleep apnea does not improve sleeping oxygen saturation during ascent to high altitude” with Associate Professor Trevor Day, PhD.

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BISSETT STUDENTS TAKE THE PODIUM IN THE ANPA CASE COMPETITION

Students (left to right) Xander Jensen, Jan Santiago, Mia Baines, and Kolten Nelson placed third in the Alberta Not-for-Profit Association (ANPA) case competition at the University of Alberta. They were mentored

by Associate Professors Catherine Pearl, PhD (far left), and Simon Magennis (centre).

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SCIENCE GRADUATE RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS SCHOLARSHIP

Bachelor of Science alumna Ellie Campbell entered graduate studies at the University of Calgary with the support of a $20,000 Cummings School of Medicine Graduate Scholarship. She has since been awarded UCalgary’s Faculty of Graduate Studies Master’s Research Scholarship.

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COUGARS’ KARCH TOP 100 OF THE CENTURY

Director of Cougars Athletics and Recreation Karla Karch has been named to U Sports’ list of top 100 women’s basketball players of the century. With Mount Royal since 2005, Karch is a former Canadian Olympian who played basketball at the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics. U Sports is the national organization for university sports in Canada.

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FAC U LT Y

AWA R DS

PEACE PRIZE RECIPIENT OFFERS THANKS

Globe and Mail foreign correspondent Stephanie Nolen, acclaimed author and speaker on social inclusion, has accepted the 2020 Calgary Peace Prize, supported through Mount Royal’s John de Chastelain Peace Studies Initiative.

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“TAINTED WATER” WINS CAJ DATA JOURNALISM AWARD

The Canadian Association of Journalists announced “Tainted Water” as the winner of the 2019 Data Journalism Award. As part of a year-long investigation by more than 120 journalists from nine universities and 10 media organizations, associate professor of journalism Janice Paskey (pictured) led a team of communication students in their participation in the project: Alannah Page, Stephanie Hagenaars, Karina Zapata, Noel Harper, Christian Kindrachuk, Jo Horwood, Rose De Souza and Andrea Wong.

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I N T R O D U C I N G

M R U ’ S

FI R S T- E V ER

C H A N C EL LO R

Dawn of a new day President and Chief Executive Officer of TransAlta Corporation since 2012, Dawn Farrell is Mount Royal University’s first chancellor following unanimous approval by the Board of Governors.

Farrell will be installed in the position at the fall convocation ceremonies. As the ceremonial head of the University, Farrell will preside over formal occasions and further connect Mount Royal with the community in order to serve a vibrant economy, environment and society.

Mount Royal and Farrell go back to 1986, when she taught an economics course at the then-college. She returned to support the institution’s transition from a college to a university, serving on the Board of Governors and the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Farrell, who received an Honorary Doctorate from MRU in 2019, holds a Master of Arts — Economics from the University of Calgary and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University.

With 30 years of experience in the electricity industry, Farrell also sits on the Board of Directors of The Chemours Company and the Business Council of Canada, where she advocates for women in business.

Farrell’s community service includes contributing to the United Way Calgary and Area and the Calgary Stampede, as well as being a member of the Trilateral Commission, a non-governmental and policy-oriented forum that brings together global leaders in business, government and academia.

Along with being an external face for Mount Royal, Farrell will act as an ex-officio member of the Board of Governors and work closely with President and ViceChancellor, Tim Rahilly, PhD.

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R E S E A R C H

S N A P S H OT S

Dynamic duos These two pairs of research duos are breaking ground in their fields and expanding the world’s knowledge base of their chosen subjects.

WORDS BY MICHELLE BODNAR

ONCE THRIVING, NOW ABANDONED Examining how uranium extraction both built and destroyed communities Professor Robert Boschman, PhD, and Associate Professor Bill Bunn are unlocking the history of abandoned mining communities and highlighting the environmental, human and nonhuman impacts of uranium extraction around the world. Their research has particular relevance today, with orphaned wells a growing concern across Alberta.

“This research not only opens up the past, but helps us recognize abandonment in the present as well as plan for the future,” Boschman says.

Uranium is a valuable resource, a heavy metal with an extremely high melting point, making it the only known material capable of sustaining a nuclear fission reaction.

It is used for fuelling nuclear power plants, powering nuclear fleets, manufacturing special ammunition and, as most know, for building nuclear bombs.

Boschman and Bunn of the Department of English, Languages and Cultures are studying five different communities around the world — Uranium City, Sask.; Jeffrey City, Wyo.; Radium Hill, Australia; Jachymov, Czech Republic; and Dominionville, South

Africa. Each was built specifically to support uranium mining, and each was subsequently abandoned.

Boschman says the study of uranium abandonment represents an environmental history yet to be fully evaluated by humanities scholars.

Eldorado Resources withdrew from Uranium City in 1982 and shuttered its mines, causing the community’s population to decline from 4,000 then to approximately 50 today. Not only has human infrastructure been left behind to decay, it will take a minimum of 24,000 years for elevated levels of radiation to dissipate.

“We’re looking at the traumas created by the extraction of uranium,” Bunn says.

With funding support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Institute for Environmental Sustainability and the Faculty of Arts’ Endeavour Fund, the professors, along with research partner Sarah Howden, an alumnus of Mount Royal’s English program and a SSHRC-funded doctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, have already visited Uranium City, Jeffrey City and Jachymov.

Their work will culminate in a book published by Wilfrid Laurier University Press. A peer-reviewed open-access article in Humanities is also available. In addition, a new minor in environmental humanities at Mount Royal was launched this year.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

BILL BUNN

PROFESSOR

ROBERT BOSCHMAN, PHD

MRU.CA /SUMMIT

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R E S E A R C H

S N A P S H OT S

INQUIRY TOWARDS EQUALITY Rethinking refugee resettlement and the representation of racialized groups PROFESSOR

LEAH HAMILTON, PHD

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

MOHAMMED EL HAZZOURI, PHD

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Professor Leah Hamilton, PhD, and Associate Professor Mohammed El Hazzouri, PhD, are working to understand how racialized newcomers are represented in important health messaging and the challenges refugees face when finding housing. Their joint interest in creating more equitable and inclusive societies is impacting decisions by public health authorities and informing strategies that support refugee resettlement.

In their first research stream, El Hazzouri and Hamilton are studying factors to help improve targeted public health advertisements featuring members of racialized groups. These advertisements are commonly used and usually widely distributed.

In a paper published in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, El Hazzouri and Hamilton showed that individuals from racialized groups respond negatively to public health advertisements targeting their group because they feel adversely stereotyped.

“We are now building upon these findings by investigating whether they hold for racialized newcomers and exploring the conditions that would make these advertisements more effective,” El Hazzouri says.

Their second stream of research is delving into how to enable the successful resettlement of Syrian

refugees in Canada. Hamilton and El Hazzouri have explored Syrian refugees’ information needs prior to arrival and while in Canada and developed strategies for meeting them. This work is reported in A National Project: Syrian Refugee Resettlement in Canada, which Hamilton co-edited. They have now engaged in a project examining what facilitates or hinders the long-term housing outcomes for Syrian refugees.

“This is a cross-national project where interviews will be conducted in Calgary, London and Fredericton over a four-year period,” Hamilton says.

Together, El Hazzouri and Hamilton have built a strong network of partnerships with undergraduate and graduate students, other researchers across Canada and community organizations including the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association, Centre for Newcomers and Calgary Catholic Immigration Society. They have been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and internal MRU grants.

Their work directly impacts students. Hamilton has had several honours thesis candidates work on issues affecting refugee communities. She also brings the projects she has conducted with El Hazzouri into the classroom.

“In my leadership development class, we talk a lot about contributing to positive social change in the community,” she says. “My students become community builders.”

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#WEARETHECOUGARS mru.ca/CougarsCampaign MRU.CA /SUMMIT

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The supply chain sequence WORDS BY JONATHAN ANDERSON AND ANDREA RANSON

From supply to demand and everything in between, there are several links that take a product from the manufacturing stage to someone’s household for use. When that sequence is disrupted, consumers are left without needed goods.

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P

andemics lead to uncertainty, and uncertainty disrupts supply chains. It’s only when they break that most begin to appreciate their complexities. Where is that bag of flour on the grocery store shelf? How come there are no Lysol wipes anywhere? Seriously, though, where did all the toilet paper go?

Canada’s supply chain depends on global connections to function in a sustainable, consistent and reliable manner. Associate Professor Rajbir Bhatti, PhD, who teaches with the Bissett School of Business’s Bachelor of Business Administration — ­ Supply Chain Management program, explains, “Canada sources a lot of its products from outside its geographic boundaries. As global production facilities got hit by COVID-19, products did not flow in at the desired time, cost and location.”

The distant supply Bhatti says most global supply chains, if traced, go to China. So, even if Canada is buying from other European, American or Asian manufacturers, they, too, generally start with China for their products.

“It is fair to say that every element was disrupted in Canada’s supply chain with the introduction of the pandemic,” says Jason Riley, program instructor for the Supply Chain Management program with Mount Royal’s Faculty of Continuing Education and Extension.

“Globalization will be considered the root cause of that damage by many and there will be an appetite to lean towards nationalism in order to reduce risk in the future,” Riley predicts. “The leaders in supply chain management will be reliant on cutting-edge technology in their effort

to reduce operational costs, provide shorter lead times and greater customer satisfaction.

Blockchain technology will certainly be more pervasive in mid- to large-sized firms in our immediate future.”

Bhatti also believes many supply chain strategies will likely change as countries re-examine sourcing procedures to be more flexible and responsive.

“Some might want to re-shore (bring businesses back home), or near-shore (bring businesses closer), and some might want to insource (rely less on third parties),” Bhatti says.

Japan has already taken a leadership position and allocated $2.2 billion for its manufacturers to re-shore. Assistant Professor Denise Chenger, PhD, agrees that COVID-19 will likely lead more businesses to consider manufacturing locally. Chenger, who is also a Mount Royal alumna, with a Business Administration Diploma and an applied degree of small business and entrepreneurship, uses an example of a student who manufactured clothing in Winnipeg. He discovered a more cost-effective way to do the same thing in China, but is rethinking this strategy. Bringing the supply chain closer to home may be costlier, but it brings down risk.

Bryce Mapletoft, a graduate of the Bachelor of Business Administration — International Business and Supply Chain Management program (2007), and now the manager of Strategic Sourcing at TC Energy, says, “In my opinion, COVID-19 has forced us to challenge and stress test our current sourcing strategies and adapt to the ever-changing global marketplace.

“COVID-19 has emphasized the importance of the interconnectivities of the global supply chain.

The response has highlighted the direct impact supply chain teams have on the overall resiliency and success of companies.”

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Skilled professionals keep the chain strong A 2017 report called Accelerator 2.0: A Call to Action by the Canadian Supply Chain Sector Council in partnership with the Government of Alberta forecasts that nearly 119,000 full-time workers will be directly employed within the Alberta supply chain industry by 2021. The Council expects growth in every province, with British Columbia and Alberta forecasted to lead the numbers, which will require a large workforce to not only replace older workers but fill new positions.

Helping to close that gap, in 2019 Mount Royal’s Bachelor of Business Administration program introduced a major in supply chain management in addition to a non-credit program already available through the Faculty of Continuing Education and Extension.

Interim Provost and Vice-President, Academic Elizabeth Evans, PhD, says, “Those studying supply chain management will be highly employable. Not only will this area be critical as the Calgary and Alberta economies diversify, but every business is looking for ways to help their bottom line by moving raw materials through to customers more cost effectively.”

“Those studying supply chain management will be highly employable.”

ELIZABETH EVANS, PHD INTERIM PROVOST AND VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC

Making supple supply chains with real-time information Supply chain experts such as Riley say professionals need to be aware of all the factors that introduce risks to the supply chain, and these can include, but are not limited to, severe weather, regional conflicts, labour disputes and political shifts.

And, of course, pandemics.

Chenger, who has 25 years of experience working on large projects for companies such as Shell, Tesoro, Suncor, Husky, Penn West, the Parkland Corporation and Telus, says a large part of what she did as a consultant was help companies get the real-time data (or business intelligence) they needed to manage risks and make good decisions. Mount Royal students get exposure and practise with the very same thing in the $500,000 CN Supply Chain Analytics Lab, which works on the Refinitiv Eikon Data Platform. The data amassed is expansive, includes historical and immediate information, and covers not just financials and locations, but also indicators like regional ethics, sustainability and the environment.

Cameron Saik, a recent graduate with a double major in supply chain management and marketing, explains, “The lab

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offers students an amazing chance to experience a very important part of the supply chain sector — analytics.

“Learning how to approach analytics and data is a key aspect of allowing supply chain students to become prepared for real-world applications.”

For Mapletoft, a career in supply chain management has been incredibly rewarding because he is involved in solving dynamic, challenging business problems.

He says, “Supply chain management provides end-toend solutions that touch nearly every aspect of a company.

We develop strategic sourcing plans that impact how we execute billions of dollars in our capital program across the major projects and operations. We conduct sophisticated negotiations to source materials and services from around the world, and strategically manage the distribution of critical materials to support our projects and operations.”

The evolution of the industry will result in more stable supply chains in the future, and Mount Royal grads will be there holding the links together.

652

%

Bread machine sales went up as more people began baking.

The winners and the losers in the supply chain during COVID-19

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Consumers temporarily unable to work out at the gym or fitness centre purchased exercise equipment to keep fit at home, driving up sales.

%

With travel suspended and people working from home, the sale of luggage and briefcases went down.

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Camera purchases went down as there were fewer special moments to capture (weddings, sports events and travel).

Information retrieved from the March 2020 Stackline.com article “Top 100 Fastest Growing & Declining Categories in E-Commerce.�

MRU.CA /SUMMIT

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COMING TO A NUCLEAR UNDERSTANDING WORDS BY MICHELLE BODNAR

Energy is top of mind for many Albertans, and discussions abound about alternative sources such as wind, geothermal, solar and hydro. But one type in particular is rarely mentioned, even though researchers and scholars often point to its potential.

Nuclear energy is in use in Canada, but only minimally. The reasons for this range from the purely political to concerns about sustainability and safety. To help gauge where the real tension around nuclear development actually lies, Summit asked Duane Bratt, PhD, professor and former chair of the Department of Economics, Justice and Policy Studies, and Connie Van der Byl, PhD, associate professor and academic director of MRU’s Institute for Environmental Sustainability to discuss the subject from the “pros” and “cons” perspectives.

Both Bratt and Van der Byl are adamant about the need to transition to a low-carbon economy.

THE QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE BEST WAY? 28

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Duane Bratt, PhD

Connie Van der Byl, PhD

Professor and former chair of

Associate professor and

the Department of Economics,

academic director of MRU’s

Justice and Policy Studies

Institute for Environmental Sustainability

EXPERT BACKGROUND With a research focus on the politics of nuclear energy, Bratt is the author of the 2012 book Canada, the Provinces, and the Global Nuclear Revival. His current projects include a risk assessment of Canada’s nuclear waste site selection process.

Bratt’s defence of nuclear energy is underwritten by

his concerns about climate change, saying that,“Nuclear energy provides a massive amount of baseload power while producing about the same amount of CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions as solar, wind and hydro.” Bratt, who is an energy pluralist, believes that several different types of energy production can co-exist peacefully and that cutting greenhouse gas emissions globally without the use of nuclear energy is simply not possible.

With years of work experience in the oil and gas industry, Van der Byl has researched and written extensively about energy management and sustainable development. She approaches her criticisms of nuclear energy with an eye towards sustainability.

“As we consider these issues we want to think about the environment as well as societal and economic implications,” she says.

There are questions about nuclear energy and the conditions under which its development may be favourable, and others where it may be unfavourable.

If we want to reduce our reliance on certain types of energy, Van der Byl says, we also don’t want to be creating new problems at the same time.

THANKS TO KARIM DHARAMSI, PHD, PROFESSOR AND CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL EDUCATION, WHO MODERATED THE DISCUSSION.

DISASTERS A HUGE PART OF THE NUCLEAR COLLECTIVE MEMORY Over 60 years there have been several major nuclear accidents, the most well-known being Three Mile Island (United States, 1979), Chernobyl (Soviet Union, 1986) and Fukushima (Japan, 2011). Large areas of land have become uninhabitable for millenia and the long-term health and wellness effects for nearby populations lead many to believe that the potential hazards associated with nuclear are just not worth it.

“There’s virtually no zero-risk in any type of energy creation,” Van der Byl says. She points to the potential for latent errors embedded in systems (Chernobyl), the possibility for natural disasters to impact nuclear facilities (Fukushima), the opportunity for nuclear facilities to be targeted by terrorists and mistrust of companies, industry and government, which can all combine to make nuclear energy especially problematic.

Bratt does not disagree that Chernobyl, in particular, was a tragedy. “There is no doubt about that. Anywhere from 30 to 45 people were killed in the first 48 hours and thousands have died subsequently based on estimations that the World Health Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency have done,” he says, but specifies that most nuclear facilities have a containment dome of from 10 to 12 feet of concrete and steel, which Chernobyl did not.

The communist political system was as much a contributing factor as the breakdown in technology in Chernobyl, Bratt says.

Societal fear is also a factor in “anti-nuclear” movements. Radiation is invisible and scary. But that stigma can be changed, as Bratt observed in 2017 while visiting a nuclear education facility in Fukushima, where programs brought in teachers from other areas of Japan so they could witness how risks had been addressed.

LISTEN TO THE COMPLETE ONE-HOUR BACK-AND-FORTH AT MRU.CA/NUCLEAR MRU.CA /SUMMIT

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WHAT TO DO WITH WHAT’S LEFT Nuclear waste is radioactive, taking tens of thousands of years to lose its harmful attributes. For a time, it was dumped into the oceans, but now is mainly buried on site.

“Some of the solutions being looked

at are deep below the earth’s surface … but do we know and understand all the implications of that?” Van der Byl asks.

Bratt concurs that nuclear waste is indeed the industry’s “Achilles’ heel.”

However, nuclear waste has been generated since the 1940s and it’s all currently being stored safely, Bratt says.

It’s often forgotten that the volume of nuclear waste is much lower than other

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energy waste and more measurable than emissions from oil, gas and coal.

Bratt believes that nuclear waste is not a technological problem, but a political problem requiring leadership. In Canada, through the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (as well as in the U.S. and Scandinavia), the use of special canisters is being discussed. A facility is under construction in Finland and there are talks of using the Canadian Shield, a vast region of Precambrian rock spanning much of eastern and central Canada.

“Politically, it’s been a hot potato,” Bratt says.

ABANDONED URANIUM MINES A SCAR ON THE INDUSTRY The extraction of uranium has left behind abandoned mines and uninhabitable land, of which one example is Uranium City, Sask. After the Eldorado mine’s closure in 1982, the Saskatchewan site was deserted and neglected (see “Once thriving, now abandoned,” page 20).

Both Bratt and Van der Byl believe there should be severe consequences for such actions, and that uranium mining should not be discussed in isolation. Mining of all kinds has major negative impacts on the environment, including those on the land, water, and plant and animal life.

NUCLEAR WAR

THE FINANCIALS BEHIND NUCLEAR ENERGY

Accidents, waste and mining are all good reasons to be nervous about nuclear energy, but the use of reactor technology to build nuclear weapons may be its greatest downfall in the minds of the public. Even with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, five countries have since developed “atomic bombs” (Israel, Pakistan, India, North Korea and South Africa).

“Nuclear energy is a spinoff civilian product coming from research and development done through the Manhattan Project to build atomic weapons,” Bratt explains, and that the two should be thought of separately. It’s actually cheaper and easier to develop nuclear weapons from scratch than a nuclear power plant.

“It is not difficult to build a weapon technologically. It is politically. I think to say that if you shut down the nuclear (energy) industry you will have no nuclear weapons … is a false argument.”

In response, Van der Byl says, “You also can’t say that being able to produce nuclear energy does not facilitate or enable the creation of weapons.”

Countries with volatile political systems are insular and unpredictable, which can then “expose the globe to a very catastrophic potentiality,” she says.

There are additional concerns that nuclear energy production can easily be used to camouflage a nuclear weapons industry.

“Technology advancements in renewable energy are bringing costs down; most would agree there are fewer emissions involved and governments are increasingly including renewable energy production as part of their overarching energy systems,” Van der Byl says.

She adds that the startup costs of nuclear facilities are “significant” in comparison. Ontario saw huge cost overruns and refurbishment needed ahead of schedule — all resulting in an enormous capital outlay.

“I would agree the biggest cost to nuclear is … construction, which is why it’s important that plants last as long as they do,” Bratt says.

Ontario’s construction troubles in particular can

be attributed to many things, including interest rates, the discontinuity of projects and lack of knowledge, Bratt says. But the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station east of Toronto, one of the largest in the world and in use for nearly 50 years, can count as a major success.

TRANSITIONING TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY A 2019 New Yorker article titled, “Is nuclear power worth the risk?” reports that the relative cost of solar energy is around 90 per cent lower than it used to be, and the cost of wind power has also plummeted by 70 per cent. These proven renewable energy

sources can be “backstopped” with natural gas to continue to ensure their reliability and affordability, Van der Byl says, as concentrated attention towards the best use of these resources continues.

Bratt says, “Natural gas … emissions are half of what coal is, and so it’s a great transition fuel, but it’s still about 500 tonnes of CO2 as opposed to renewables and nuclear.”

Diversification is key, even when renewables are being used to their potential, Bratt warns. When Germany shut down their nuclear facilities, the price of electricity shot up. The country has had to rely on coal as well as electricity imports from France.

Electricity costs also skyrocketed in Japan when they shuttered their nuclear plants in 2011.

No energy production method is perfect.

Renewable energy requires a lot of land. The solar plant outside of Taber, for instance, will produce about 500 megawatts when constructed, but use at least eight times the amount of property as a 1,200 megawatt nuclear reactor.

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COULD NUCLEAR ENERGY BE CONSIDERED RENEWABLE? For Van der Byl, it’s about lifecycle, and for long-term cradle-to-grave sustainability considerations, renewable energy sources such as geothermal, wind and hydro would have the potential to top nuclear. But in order to meet emissions milestones because of Canada signing the Paris Accord, nuclear should be a part of the overall energy equation, she says.

Nuclear comes close to ticking all the boxes as a renewable resource. There is virtually an endless supply of uranium in the sea. The actinide metals fully replenish through geologic processes.

A 2016 Forbes article titled “Uranium Seawater Extraction Makes Nuclear Power Completely Renewable” states that, “It is impossible for humans to extract enough uranium over the next

WHO WANTS NUCLEAR? billion years to lower the overall seawater concentrations of uranium, even if nuclear provided 100 per cent of our energy and our species lasted a billion years.”

Ninety-eight per cent of nuclear

waste is reusable as well, Bratt says, but requires separating uranium from plutonium and reprocessing, which is more expensive than mining, and, as with all recycling processes in their infancy, there is a lack of necessary investment. In the late-1970s, the Carter administration in the U.S. suspended all research and development into the recycling of used fuel because of proliferation concerns. A new effort to bring down these costs would also help nuclear be considered fully renewable — minus the expenditures needed to run the plants.

Talking about energy in a place like Alberta, where multiple forms exist (wind, sun, geothermal, oil and gas), is an interesting conundrum, Van der Byl says, as generally developments are more of a want than a need.

“The wind industry in Alberta was

actually spurred by farmers requesting the ability to put windmills on their farms to generate their own electricity.”

Specifically with regards to nuclear energy, Bratt says, “The largest opposition to nuclear energy is where it isn’t, the largest support for nuclear energy is where it is.”

British Columbia has no reactors and no uranium, and its population is largely against the establishment of nuclear power plants. Ontario has the most public backing for nuclear energy, as well as the most power plants. It’s the introduction of nuclear that seems to be the issue, but that is not at all uncommon when it comes to implementing new energy technologies.

“Jimmy Carter put solar panels on the White House, Ronald Reagan ripped them down the moment that he moved in,” Bratt says.

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MORE MICRO Energy production right now is stuck in a “macro” phase, with large, centralized facilities feeding into another large, centralized system. Coal plants, gas plants, and even nuclear plants are getting bigger and bigger, and solar and wind farms can sprawl over acres. Both Van der Byl and Bratt would like to see the energy industry move more towards the “micro,” such as solar panels scattered throughout cities and towns on buildings and homes.

Something in which Bratt sees great promise is increased interest in the development of tiny nuclear reactors, or SMRs (small modular reactors). SMRs already power nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers, but there has been no commercial civilian application of their use just yet. SMR development in the private world has yet to happen.

“There are dozens and dozens of (SMR)

designs, but until prototypes are built, no one is going to buy something off of a computer screen,” Bratt says.

Canada is taking advantage of the opportunity to get ahead. “About a year and a half ago, Natural Resources Canada released a road map for SMR development,” Bratt says, and CANDU has come up with a prototype.

In December 2019 the Ontario, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick governments signed a memorandum of

GLOBAL AND NATIONAL NUCLEAR FACTS AND STATS

understanding to support the Canadian government with SMRs. In August, Alberta also joined.

“Our government is exploring all opportunities that could help diversify our economy and create jobs for Albertans,” Premier Jason Kenney said in a news release. “We are building on our track record of responsible and innovative energy production by exploring the potential for small modular reactors, which have the potential to generate reliable and affordable energy, while also strengthening our traditional resource sectors and reducing emissions.”

SMRs could be used to power small Arctic communities (where diesel is currently being flown in), and for desalination, industrial steam production and hydrogen generation.

• There are about 440 nuclear power reactors generating 10 per cent of the world’s electricity • More than 50 countries use nuclear energy • About 50 more reactors are currently under construction • Approximately three-quarters of the electricity in France is provided through nuclear generators (the most of any nation) • Canada has 19 nuclear reactors generating about 15 per cent of the country’s electricity • The U.S. has 96 nuclear reactors generating about 19 per cent of their electricity • Bangladesh, Belarus, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are all building their first nuclear power plants World Nuclear Association (world-nuclear.org)

THE CONCLUSION

Van der Byl believes energy should be thought about from a Canadian perspective and with a strategic vision in mind. “What are the resources and capabilities that we have to support energy production both for our own consumption and for export? And what is the most responsible way to go about producing those energy sources?” she asks, with the belief that nuclear can be a part of that portfolio.

“Too often we view energy in isolation, and we view it as one source and then try to attack the other

sources. I see a place for all sorts of energy purposes, with the exception of coal,” Bratt says.

Nuclear energy stands at a complicated intersection of technology, politics and economics. When viewed through all three lenses, its complexities — and opportunities — are fully revealed.

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Health care with heart Mount Royal nurses and midwives are addressing the ever-evolving needs of patients and society with unwavering strength and compassion WORDS BY PETER GLENN ILLUSTRATIONS BY ASTRI DO REGO

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As the complexities of care grow along with the demands we place on the system, nursing requires a firm hand, a sharp mind and quick decision-making, all with a human touch.

Whether it’s helping save lives in the intensive care unit (ICU) and operating room; caring for mothers and children; providing life-saving immunizations and health advice; looking after seniors; or generally meeting everyday essential needs, nurses and midwives are the backbone of the health-care system.

They play a lead role in keeping us well and helping us heal. And we need more of them. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nine million more nurses and midwives are required if universal health coverage is to be achieved by 2030.

“There is a real need for nursing and midwifery education to prepare nurses and midwives to understand the complex and evolving nature of the health-care system and the importance of the broader determinants of health,” says Elizabeth Van Den Kerkhof, director of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Mount Royal University.

“Nurses are asked to care for a diverse patient population with diverse needs, to function as leaders regardless of their role, collaborate with other health professionals and be lifelong learners.”

Canada’s first two-year nursing diploma program enrolled 25 students in 1967.

Nursing education at Mount Royal has kept pace with rapid changes in the decades ever since.

In 2007, the Bachelor of Nursing program was launched. It was Mount Royal’s first independent baccalaureate and now welcomes 215 eager students each fall — far fewer than apply. In 2011, recognizing an unfulfilled need, Mount Royal also launched its Bachelor of Midwifery, which is the only program of its kind in Alberta. Additionally, the School offers the Bridge to Canadian Nursing (BCN) and Advanced Studies in Critical Care Nursing (ACCN) programs.

“We are gifted with the ability to interact with people at critical moments in their lives, and adapt our knowledge and skills to affect change for better outcomes,” says Kerri Alderson, associate professor of nursing.

“Often, it is a conversation with a nurse or a midwife that enables people to recognize their own strengths, and collaborate to work out a solution to overcome the personal or systemic challenges they face.”

On the front lines When the COVID-19 crisis erupted in the spring of 2020, School of Nursing and Midwifery students quickly lent a hand.

As a result of physical distancing

measures, undergraduate clinical placements were suspended but the focus remained on continuing to progress students towards graduation.

“For all of our programs, we moved from the need to achieve a specified number of hours in the final clinical practicum to evaluating students based on entry-topractice competencies,” Van Den Kerkhof says. Those who were ready were placed at the forefront of the battle against the virus.

Mount Royal worked closely with regulatory bodies, including the College of Midwives of Alberta and the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA), as well as schools and faculties across the province, to facilitate a consistent approach. Clinical placement areas for students included mental health, pediatric, medical, postpartum/ labour and delivery, seniors’ homes and community settings.

“Patient safety, student safety and readiness for practice (were) guiding our decisions.”

Nursing and midwifery students looked for even more ways to get involved, too (see sidebar, page 38).

“As a group we are very eager to help in our community. Many of us are already employees of the health-care field and want to do what we can,” says Shani Markus, a third-year student and president of the MRU Student Nursing Society.

In addition, MRU’s ACCN program’s students who met course competencies progressed to completion. ACCN is geared towards nurses already working in the health-care system and has two streams: emergency and critical care.

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All of the ACCN faculty have worked on the front lines at the Foothills Medical Centre’s emergency room (ER) or the Alberta Children’s Hospital pediatric ICU, on top of their work at MRU. They have also released free teaching materials for nurses unfamiliar with advanced nursing principles, such as mechanical ventilation and the use of certain medications.

World celebrates nurses and midwives

The British medical journal The Lancet put it simply: “Without nurses and midwives there would be no health care.”

To celebrate the work they do, and to

mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, the WHO designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. The WHO also released the landmark State of the World’s Nursing Report 2020 on World Health Day (April 6).

“Today, many nurses find themselves on the front line in the battle against COVID-19. This report is a stark reminder of the unique role they play, and a wake-up call to ensure they get the support they need to keep the world healthy,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general, when releasing the report.

The WHO and partners, including the International Confederation of Midwives, the International Council of Nurses, Nursing Now and the United Nations Population Fund, are nearing the end of this year-long effort to celebrate the work of nurses and midwives, highlight the challenging conditions they face and advocate for increased investments in the workforce. The current pandemic, while putting a damper on many of those planned celebrations, has only made it more clear the vital services both provide.

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The Government of Alberta’s budget woes are challenging the system to do more with less, but the province has continued with initiatives to provide more power to nurses and midwives. Registered nurses and nurse practitioners can now prescribe drugs at places like travel clinics, sexually transmitted infection centres and workplace health and safety clinics.

Nurse practitioners were also given new permissions to set bone fractures, while midwives with additional training will be able to prescribe, dispense and administer a broader range of prescription drugs, insert IUDs and perform ultrasounds.

Mount Royal University associate professor of midwifery Susan Jacoby spent

“I am a nurse and a midwife with 40 years experience in maternalchild health and have always believed that midwifery is a calling, not just a job,” — Susan Jacoby, DNP Associate professor of midwifery

a number of months working with the WHO while on sabbatical and helped the organization prepare for the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.

Jacoby began working at the WHO in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2019 on a project related to female genital mutilation, her area of research expertise. That work was delayed, however, so Jacoby was then seconded to work with Elizbeth Iro, WHO’s first chief nursing officer. As part of Iro’s team, Jacoby assisted with several projects, including the State of the World’s Nursing Report 2020.

“I am a nurse and a midwife with 40 years of experience in maternal-child health and have always believed that midwifery is a calling, not just a job,” Jacoby says.

“You have to be passionate about mothers and babies. They deserve nothing less.”

The COVID-19 crisis also meant a planned event to honour Mount Royal University’s former director of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Paula Price, PhD, could not go ahead. Organizers of the day-long gathering had hoped to focus on ways nursing and midwifery can collaborate with other practitioners, and would have featured speakers whose work and legacy speak to their contributions in health care.

“Nurses and midwives are too busy trying to care for the people we serve to stop and consider that we are the reason this year was proclaimed the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife,” Jacoby says.

“We are working long hours on the front line and desperately trying to keep people from dying — even at risk to ourselves. I hope that at the end of the day, the world will have a greater appreciation for the work that nurses and midwives do to keep their communities well.”

Continued on page 39

As the COVID-19 crisis gripped the world, Mount Royal University nursing faculty and students responded immediately in a wide variety of ways. Here are just a few examples of how the pandemic touched their lives.

Joyce Woods, PhD Associate professor of nursing Joyce Woods, PhD, has made more than 3,500 masks to donate to more than 30 service agencies, essential workers and every family in her condo building.

“Because health promotion is so important to me I wanted to make a contribution that would help stop the spread of COVID-19,” Woods says, who was one of a number of faculty members who made personal protective equipment.

Woods wanted to “make a difference” for people who might not be in a position to purchase masks, so she got to work.

“This has been one of the most rewarding projects I have ever taken on. If my many years of nursing taught me anything, it has been to be kind and help one another whenever and wherever you can.”

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Students in healthcare related programs across Calgary put on their scrubs to volunteer during the pandemic: • They helped with screening and tracing at various agencies.

• Students worked at the Kids Help Phone and volunteered at the Calgary Food Bank and the Kerby Centre.

• A Facebook group was created called COVID-19 MRU Community Volunteers to publish volunteer placements around the city, which led to more than 100 students and faculty responding.

• MRU Student Nursing Society president Shani Markus and her peers created another Facebook group called YYC COVID-19 Mental Health Promotion to act as a positive resource.

• Siksika community health nurse and MRU alumnus Chris Sterling started a web series talking about COVID-19.

• The MRU Student Nursing Society joined the Health-Care Students for Health-Care Workers, a group created by students at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine that pairs health-care workers who may need child care, pet care or other help with students willing to pitch in.

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Susan Jacoby Mount Royal University associate professor of midwifery Susan Jacoby is one of several midwives who volunteered to staff the COVID-19 maternity unit at the Foothills Medical Centre in order to limit potential exposure to community midwives.

On May 5, the International Day of the Midwife, Jacoby assisted in the birth of baby Aria to Christine Jang. The midwife at the birth was Chandra Martini, an alumna of the MRU program and a former student of Jacoby’s.

“It was a marvelous way to celebrate,” Jacoby says. “Nurses and midwives comprise 50 per cent of global health-care providers, but this is the first time in the 72-year history of the World Health Organization that we have been celebrated for our contributions to health care.”

Students are the future

Kerri Alderson An associate professor in nursing at MRU and formerly a practising nurse in a variety of health-care settings, Kerri Alderson says that nurses effect change across the lifespan and have the ability to influence the trajectory of health at individual, community and population levels.

During COVID-19, Alderson volunteered with the Calgary Seniors’ Resource Society by calling seniors who were isolated while her husband and 13-year-old son helped out at the Calgary Food Bank.

“While this altruism is a desirable characteristic for a nurse or midwife, it is my role and responsibility to guide students’ awareness that the ability to assist patients also carries great responsibility.

“You have to know to care.”

Markus says that the broad and varied role nurses play in health advocacy and leadership drew her to the profession.

“It is important to recognize the diversity of jobs in nursing. In reality, nurses can choose to work in the community, serving several populations. Nurses act as a backbone to our health-care systems, communities and education systems.”

Andrew Nguyen, former president of the Students’ Association of Mount Royal University and a recent graduate who is now caring for COVID-19 patients in the ICU, says he chose nursing “because it combines the science of medicine and the art of nursing care. This is important for me because I wanted to gain medical knowledge while providing direct front line care. I chose nursing because I wanted to work with patients and their families navigating very difficult health situations and circumstances.”

Nurses deserve to be celebrated for holidays missed with their families, facing the risk of infection every day, and many, many unclocked hours, he says.

Bridge to Canadian Nursing opens new doors To meet the growing need for healthcare workers and as Alberta battles the COVID-19 pandemic, the School of Nursing and Midwifery has expanded its Bridge to Canadian Nursing program, which provides a crucial step for nurses trained in other countries to save lives here.

The BCN program, which MRU began offering in 2006, is expanding to accept 120 students, starting with the applicant intake in October 2020. This is an increase of 40 students admitted annually. The expansion is in response to student demand that rose from 150 applicants in 2017 to 375 in 2019. The expanded cohort will start in 2021.

BCN students come from all over the world, including the Philippines, India and other Asian countries, as well as the U.K., U.S. and parts of the Caribbean.

BCN graduate Louie Marie Lupot spent five years as a nurse in her native Philippines before coming to Canada with her family in 2015. Her dream was to continue her career as a registered nurse and the BCN program is helping her achieve it.

“ Nurses act as a backbone to our health-care systems, communities and education systems.”

— Shani Markus Third-year student and president of the MRU Student Nursing Society

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“Through this program, I am able to bridge my home country nursing experience to become a valuable contributor here in Canada,” Lupot says.

“MRU’s BCN program is the most holistic and comprehensive approach that translates into workplace knowledge and will get me up and running in no time.”

BCN courses are developed to meet CARNA requirements and provide internationally educated nurses (IEN) with the additional education they require to become licensed registered nurses in Alberta.

“Professional nurses who immigrate to Canada but are not able to obtain a licence are an untapped source of knowledge and skill,” says Robyn Stewart, assistant professor at MRU and BCN program coordinator, noting the relationship she has with her students is symbiotic.

“It is a pleasure and privilege to spend my time with IENs, learning together a little more about life and the nursing practice every day.”

Andrew Nguyen A former president of the Students’ Association of Mount Royal University, recent nursing graduate Andrew Nguyen is now caring for COVID-19 patients in an intensive care unit (ICU).

“As an eager new registered nurse during the pandemic, I immersed myself in the front line response to COVID-19 in unconventional ways,” he says. Rather than sticking to one unit or setting, Nguyen helped at inpatient COVID-19 units, the ICU and with virus screenings. He also serves on an AHS regional Health Advisory Council.

“We continue to learn of new pathophysiological presentations and best practices. While not perfect, I can say that I have unwavering confidence in our Alberta health-care system.”

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Louie Marie Lupot

John Dominic

Tammy Sherrow

Louie Marie Lupot worked as an obstetrics and gynecology and labour room nurse in a maternity hospital in her native Philippines before moving to Canada with her family as a landed immigrant in 2015.

Having graduated from MRU’s Bridge to Canadian Nursing program and now waiting for final approval to work as a registered nurse, Lupot is a casual health care aide and a casual licensed practical nurse in a mental health unit at a seniors care community.

“I have to isolate myself from my children when I get back from work,” she says of the challenges she has faced during the pandemic. “It made me very cautious in handling equipment in the workplace and I made sure that I don’t get complacent in a job that demands my utmost attention.

This is what I signed up for.”

After graduating in 2009 from the University of Calicut in India, John Dominic worked as a registered nurse for four years before moving to Canada in 2014. The Bridge to Canadian Nursing program is opening new doors for him. He is working as a licensed practical nurse at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, and says the COVID-19 pandemic has put added pressure on health-care providers. His team and family have been helping him cope.

“The pandemic has given me a new perspective about the important work a lot of people do. I am sure we will get through this and be stronger when we get to the other side.”

During the pandemic, Tammy Sherrow, associate professor in nursing, and Karen Lasby, authors of Preemie Care: A Guide to Navigating the First Year with Your Premature Baby, supported parents whose newborns were either still in the neonatal intensive care unit or had recently been discharged home. The two used their Preemie Care website and social media accounts to share information and guidance. They also partnered with the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation and participated in live video broadcasts.

“It is all about keeping their baby healthy and safe,” Sherrow says of parents’ concerns.

“Once home, parents are not seeing other health-care professionals for routine appointments as regularly, so they have lots of questions about all things preemie, such as behaviour, feeding and development.”

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HOW TO SUCCEED IN THE GIG ECONOMY WORDS BY MELISSA ROLFE | ILLUSTRATIONS BY MIKE POON

Whether it’s ride-sharing, food delivery, coding or freelance writing, a December 2019 Statistics Canada report found 8.2 per cent of Canadians were employed in piece work, or gigs, in 2016.

Measuring the Gig Economy in Canada Using Administrative Data describes gig workers as “usually not employed on a long-term basis by a single firm; instead, they enter into various contracts with firms or individuals (task requesters) to complete a specific task or to work for a specific period of time for which they are paid a negotiated sum.”

Some workers enter the gig economy when they can’t find a full-time job and need to string together an income. Others join by choice, tempted by the flexibility, undeterred by the risks.

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What’s in it for the gig worker?

According to three Bissett School of Business experts, gig work can pay off, but it takes planning and a shift in thinking about how successful careers are defined.

“You get to use a variety of your skills and abilities when you’re working in different contexts and with different people,” says Melanie Peacock, PhD, associate professor of human resources. The gig economy allows people to be autonomous, test their expertise and manage their own motivation.

While the idea of being their own boss might appeal to many, those who actually take the plunge tend to have an entrepreneurial spirit and an ability to drum up business, says David Finch, PhD, professor of

marketing and the associate director of the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

“What we find in the gig economy is the classic hunter-gatherer profile,” he says. “People who are hunters love business development. They’re extroverted and they’re networkers. There’s a natural fit there.”

Other gig workers are introverted specialists, he says. “Their work speaks for them. As they move on in their careers they become recognized for their expertise and the business comes to them.”

Co-working arrangements in shared office spaces are becoming more common for gig workers, allowing for the spreading out of resources and the capitalization on different personality profiles.

Alumni getting “giggy” with it

WORDS BY RUTH MYLES

Mackenzie Bedford Bachelor of Business Administration— Marketing, 2018 It took landing — then losing — a full-time position over the course of a few weeks for Mackenzie Bedford to fully embrace her commitment to the gig economy.

Bedford left a rewarding position as community manager with Rainforest Alberta in October 2019. She went out on her own as a designer, illustrator, animator and writer. Things went well initially, then slowed down.

She got nervous.

“I caved. I applied for jobs and I got one. I was going to be doing events and branding. Then, a week and a half into the job, everyone got laid off because of COVID-19,” Bedford says matter-of-factly. “I took it as a sign to commit even harder to freelancing and not give up. I have leaned into the entrepreneurial side and it’s starting to pick up again.”

The gig economy of today has evolved from the side hustle of the past as a response to the digitization of services and disenfranchisement from corporate work settings, she says.

“A lot of people are starting to see that their skills don’t have to go through a company to find value. People are starting to take the reins themselves.

And in Alberta, especially, the gig

economy is prevalent because people are sick of that boom and bust cycle.”

The 28-year-old loves the flexibility of calling her own shots. That applies to when and where she works, as well as what type of work she accepts.

She specializes in package design, presentations, and reports and social media content, in addition to marketing collateral.

“I find in the gig economy if you are clear about what you are selling, you can get some really cool projects.

If you are unclear, that is where it gets tough. I like being able to tell people what I’m worth and not have to negotiate it.”

Bedford, the recipient of a 2018 Jason Lang Scholarship, says Mount Royal provided the foundation for the work she’s doing today.

“Mount Royal was so great about how to move past the school setting and into the job market. It was ‘This is how you get the interviews, this is how you market products.’ I was able to apply a lot of that to my art.”

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The downside The most obvious drawback to gig work is instability.

“To live in the gig economy, you’ve got to accept risk,” Finch cautions. “The narrative sounds great: be independent, travel whenever you want, you’re your own boss.”

But the reality can be far more challenging.

“At the first downturn a person experiences, depending on their comfort level with risk, what I see is they either double down and say ‘I’m going to make this work’ or they start looking for something else.”

Some are able to ride out the ups and downs because a spouse or partner has a full-time job.

“When someone else is there with a stable income, it’s far more enjoyable. The minute it’s about paying the mortgage and feeding the children it becomes much less fun.”

As Finch notes, “In a gig economy, your safety net is yourself. Period.”

Burnout is another occupational hazard, according to Peacock, who received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the 2020 Canadian Human Resources Awards this year. She says gig workers are often reluctant to say no and will take on more work than they should. They may even put their own health at risk.

“If people don’t have benefits, will they be as willing to take care of themselves?” she asks.

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Ormhel Manuel Bachelor of Business Administration — General Management, 2018 Ormhel Manuel has a front-row seat to shifts in how we work. As an advisor with Platform Calgary — an organization that supports entrepreneurial, technical and innovation capacities — Manuel observes these changes in their infancy as clients create frameworks for how they’ll operate their startups.

For example, one of the organizations he’s working with is fine-tuning a hybrid model. In it, gig workers and traditional employees share the work environment, uniting two streams that are usually separated.

“It brings together so many people with such different skill sets that it creates a rich environment. It’s really dynamic,” Manuel says. “Moving forward, the gig economy is something that I think will be more widely accepted, even in organizations.”

In addition to his advisory role and his work as a freelance product designer, Manuel has served as an entrepreneurin-residence at Mount Royal for the past two years. The 25-year-old advises students that being nimble and open to new ways of working are skills that will serve them well.

“It feels like consultancy and the gig economy is blending together,” Manuel

“

Moving forward, the gig economy is something that I think will be more widely accepted, even in organizations.

“ How to succeed

says, who supplemented his degree with concentrations in finance and innovation and entrepreneurship.

Manuel started a cleaning company with his partner in his first year at MRU (which they later sold to a property management company), thinking of the venture as a problem-solving exercise. An entrepreneurship course in his third year opened doors to additional possibilities.

In 2017, he earned $30,000 in Mount Royal’s JMH LaunchPad competition for an idea that became CarBerri, an online vehicle buy and sell service. He also took home $8,000 at Calgary’s Innovation Rodeo the same year.

Manuel made the hard decision to shut down CarBerri in the fall of 2019, but celebrates the skills and connections he forged along the way.

Today, his work as a freelance product designer puts him at the “intersection of business and design.” He finds solutions for his clients’ business challenges while also addressing issues such as usability.

“I’ve had to work in a lot of areas.

Working at a startup, my own as well as others, you are forced to wear so many different hats,” he says. “I have lots more to learn. One thing about the gig economy is that you are really only limited by yourself.”

It takes more than a good idea to be successful. The fundamentals, Finch says, are experience and connections.

“The things that predict success in the gig economy are evidence of quality in a portfolio of past projects and the ability to build a business because you’ve got a roster of clients for consistent project work.

“Walking out of a university and into a gig is a very difficult thing to do unless you have those two ingredients in place already.”

Instead, he advises younger workers to build up their credentials through different jobs for several years and then freelance.

The successful gig worker also needs time-management skills, and the ability to negotiate and communicate well with clients, Peacock says. “You have to be very careful and understand the parameters of what is expected. It’s about setting boundaries and a lot of self care.

“Gig work sounds good on paper — and it can be — but it really needs a lot of strategic planning and forethought,” she adds.

That includes some basic business planning, according to Nicole Edge, PhD, assistant professor of accounting.

“That can seem really daunting for folks, but it comes down to: ‘What do I need to earn? Who are my potential customers? How much can I charge? What can I generate? Can I actually make a living from that?’ There is something that is truly freeing about seeing it in black and white in front of you.”

Edge recommends keeping it simple, especially in the first year.

Don’t buy insurance, register as a business or get a GST number unless required. “You can earn a certain amount before you have to charge GST and for the vast majority of (early) gigs I don’t think you need to go to that level.”

When it comes to compensation, people often pay themselves what’s left over after covering their costs, but Edge says that’s not a strategy for the long term.

“Work it backwards,” she says. “If you know you need to work 10 hours in order to pay your rent, that puts you in the driver’s seat.

That’s the key to doing this kind of work: knowing what you need to do. That reverse engineering is a more helpful way to look at it.”

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“

Because of my design thinking background, I look at the world and say, ‘Oh, that’s a problem that I can solve,’ or ‘I wonder how it would turn out if we tried this.’

Jacinthe Koddo Bachelor of Applied Interior Design, 2006 A love of learning partnered with design thinking has taken Jacinthe Koddo to the forefront of the gig economy.

After graduating from Mount Royal, Koddo followed her interests and forged a path that eventually led her to co-found Tandem Innovation Group. The Vancouver-based company is an affiliate firm of independent controllers, bookkeepers, chief financial officers and more, and is representative of a new kind of gig economy.

“We help companies from startup to exit through a financial lens. We have two main groups: companies and entrepreneurs who don’t have that finance or businessperson on their team yet, and our Tandem network who are contract controllers, CFOs, CMOs, HR and more,” explains Koddo, who is also Tandem’s director of client experience.

“We’re a matchmaker for companies.”

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Tandem’s network of 154 members perform as though they’re internal to their client companies, but serve in “fractional roles.” Most of the members are experienced entrepreneurs or have spent time in startups, so are familiar with the digin-and-get-going culture.

Before Tandem, as a self-described “serial entrepreneur,” Koddo launched her first venture in 2008. It was a reaction to being laid off from the junior interior designer position she landed in Toronto after graduating from Mount Royal. A government program gave her a grounding in business as well as provided ongoing mentorship as she built a prepared meal delivery service. After moving back to Calgary, she picked up more entrepreneurial knowledge while working for a small business.

Through it all, Koddo pushed herself to learn new skills and to constantly network. Those traits served her well when she relocated to Vancouver. A stint with a creative leadership school helped her see herself — and her skills — through a new lens.

“Because of my design thinking background, I look at the world and say, ‘Oh, that’s a problem that I can solve,’ or ‘I wonder how it would turn out if we tried this.’ ” While attending a brush-up bookkeeping course for entrepreneurs, she met her current business partners, Tania Lo and Sean Hodgins. Koddo started to work with Hodgins’ business, Tandem Accounting Group. From there, she expanded her skillset and Tandem Innovation Group was launched in October 2018. Koddo is also a member of Tandem’s expert network. She’s a contract CFO/COO for a number of companies and runs her own consulting business.

For her, the ability to choose on what and with whom she works is the real upside of the gig economy. “I have to really believe in the project and be values-aligned with the founder to join the team.”

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The future of gig work What’s predictable about gig work is that it’s here to stay. “More and more of us are going to have to face this as a long-term reality of earning a living,” Edge says.

“In our culture we have this story that we like to tell that if you work hard, get an education, you’ll get a job and be set for life. What we’re facing, and have been facing for a long time, is that’s not the reality anymore.”

Both Edge and Peacock say it’s time for some of the rules to change to make gig work a more viable option for more people.

Peacock recommends employers reconsider the terms they offer part-time workers and potential obligations to provide overtime pay, benefits and holiday pay. This will provide more stability as people venture out on their own to generate the remainder of their income.

Edge says policies and tax structures are lagging and need to be updated, too. “We’re still buying into that myth of the 40-hour work week, setfor-life-salary kind of position. We’re missing the opportunity. We’re missing the upside.”

When people succeed at gig work, society as a whole benefits, too, according to Edge.

“If we think that work has to be done in a certain way, it inhibits our ability to innovate,” she says.

“And if we think that we can’t afford to do gig work, then it inhibits our ability to take on those risks.

“Those risks are the places where I believe our community will end up benefiting — those creative ideas that come from stringing things together.”

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Alumni Q + A

A LU M N I

Derek Rucki

Bachelor of Business Administration — General Management

INTERVIEW BY ROB PETROLLINI

Derek Rucki is a go-getter. He solves problems, takes calculated risks and has a head for business. The Calgary-based entrepreneur started his first company, TLink Golf, while he was a student at Mount Royal University. Rucki and business partner Stefan Radeta (also an MRU alumnus) invented a more affordable golf GPS watch, a venture that took the duo on a sixyear business journey resulting in the manufacturing of over 25,000 units and more than $2 million worth of sales.

In 2019, Rucki began his second venture, InspiredGo, a healthy meal service that offers salads, bowls and wraps with free next-day delivery. Partnering with local growers to source close-to-home ingredients, Rucki explains his motivation as a simple attempt to support healthy eating habits in a busy office environment. When office towers emptied because of COVID-19, Rucki spun his business to provide contactless delivery and began donating a free meal to a Calgary health-care worker for every ready-to-eat meal box purchased. They also set up a way for their customers to donate as many meals as they like.

What drives your entrepreneurial spirit?

Ultimately I think it comes down to being creatively satisfied. Going to the same job, doing the same tasks, making the same income, that just doesn’t do it for me. I want new challenges and to evolve as a person through the work I am doing.

What was the most important course you took at MRU and why?

My first entrepreneurship class with Ray DePaul (director of the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship).

We learned about how to ask good questions to provoke new ideas and that entrepreneurship is really about solving problems instead of starting businesses.

It gave me a whole new lens to view the world through and made me believe that starting a business is more than about making money; it’s about following a passion and creating value for the world.

Not only that, but there is a set of tools you learn to help you along.

What are your future plans for InspiredGo? The world is a different place. We had to pivot our entire business from serving office buildings to delivering to homes. Thanks to an incredible team of MRU alumni, we expanded to Vancouver this summer. Our team believes if we can scale our service all across Canada, that the world will be just a little bit of a healthier and happier place because of it.

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How have you stayed connected to Mount Royal over the years?

I have enjoyed coming back to the University to share my story in some of the entrepreneurship classes. I was sitting in those classes when I became inspired by others’ stories. So if just one student can have the same thing happen from hearing me talk, I am happy.

We continue to hire MRU students for InspiredGo. This is just one more way I have seen the growth mindset being fostered at MRU, as our team has stepped up to every challenge. I have no doubt Mount Royal helped with this.

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