Mount Royal University Summit Spring/Summer 2020

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Dear alumni, I am thinking about all of you in this time of change. How we’ve all adjusted quickly to take care of ourselves and each other. How we’ve had to worry about loved ones, greet them without a hug and stay physically apart to protect them.

Thank you to our educators and parents, who continue to ensure our children are receiving their right to a good education, knowing the worst thing in life is to stop learning.

That separation can be seen as an act of duty, however. And respect. Although we are apart, we remain close. Appropriate actions now are vital, and will be indicative of our values as a society for generations to come. Together, we are setting an example for the future, and we must remain diligent and focused.

Thank you to our communicators, those who have crafted the messages we need to move in the right direction, together.

At times it has been surreal. Already, we’re communicating differently. When we can be face-to-face (but two metres away), I see people trying to cut through the “noise,” be present, and connect. We are conversing more digitally, too. Setting up a video conference is no big deal to me now. I suspect some of these now-novel activities will become common practice, as we explore different ways of working and living.

Throughout it all, I’ve watched Mount Royal’s employees remain calm and purposeful while handling some of the most difficult challenges this institution has ever seen, and they’ve done so with unguarded empathy. Faculty pivoted mid-semester adeptly, and were truly heroic in their efforts to change platforms so students could complete the semester. Most important, students heeded the precautions, and amidst the turmoil adapted stoically.

Alumni, my appreciation for all of you continues to grow as well. Our alumni community is one of kindness, compassion and ingenuity.

Thank you to the brave graduates of our nursing and health care programs, who have literally been on the frontlines since the beginning and have saved countless lives. Our health-care system is foundational. You proved it.

Thank you to our scientists, who are finding ways to fight this thing and discovering more every day about how to keep ourselves and our planet healthy.

Thank you to our computer and data scientists, who closely watch patterns in order to make wise predictions and implement preventions, with humanity.

Thank you to our graduates in the business community, who have been nimble in creating continuity, stalwart in their support for each other and extraordinary in keeping the supply chain open and moving.

Our mental health professionals continue to build and maintain hope and trust in ourselves and others. Thank you to those who understand human nature, and can provide comfort and solace, as well as real solutions.

Thank you to our thinkers, our planners, our scholars and our researchers who form a critical component of any response team.

And thank you to those who have created the art, poetry, music and books we can enjoy right now.

There are many who are working with communities on the other side of the world, or close to home in rural communities that are often forgotten. You are helping do what Mount Royal does best, which is provide a sense of belonging. Let’s keep talking through all of our channels.

Thank you. I remain in this with you. Mount Royal is a place where you belong, and our campus waits patiently to welcome everyone back.

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

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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 65,000.

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 laser 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 You can 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

The Mount Royal College yearbook, titled Chinook, ran from 1911 to 1940. The yearbooks contain tons of photographs of students, faculty, clubs, teams and events, providing sentimental insight into life at MRC when the school was a much smaller religious institution in downtown Calgary. They are viewable at the Archives and Special Collections at the Riddell Library and Learning Centre.

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 COPY EDITORS Matthew Fox Peter Glenn Ruth Myles Andrea Ranson Public Relations Diploma ’85

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

CONTRIBUTORS Jonathan Anderson BCMM ’13 Michelle Bodnar Geoff Crane BCMM ’14 Marlena Cross Peter Glenn Erika Holter BNpSt (Applied) ‘13 Julie Macdonald BCMM ‘13 Ruth Myles Kyle Napier BCMM ’14 Rob Petrollini BCMM (Applied) ’07 Silvia Pikal BCMM ’13 Melissa Rolfe Hooda Sadden

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CO N T EN T S

In this issue 5

Bleed Blue

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Fast facts

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Research snapshot

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We heard you, alumni

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brave

We’re going to have to be

Alumna Sharilyn Amy’s dream project in Argentina was nearly derailed due to rampant corruption in the construction industry. But Amy and her business partner decided to take the risk and fight back.

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Alumni Donor

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Alumni Q&A

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Otahpiaaki Otahpiaaki, a one-of-a-kind fashion exhibition supported through Mount Royal-based research, is picking apart patterns of systemic inequalities to provide Indigenous designers and creatives with a platform for their work.

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The resilience of an arts degree

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Despite what some parents and relatives may think, graduates of Mount Royal’s arts programs have the breadth and depth of skills and knowledge needed to make an impact in a number of different fields. And even fight the robots.

Four roads less travelled Even with the most careful planning, it’s impossible to live life in a straight line these days. When they reached the end of a path, these four students and alumni used Mount Royal to pave a new direction.

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Alumni in this issue Famida Ahmad Bachelor of Computer Information Systems, 2017 Richard Alame Bachelor of Arts — Sociology, 2014 Sharilyn Amy Public Relations Diploma, 1995 Nana Asante Bachelor of Arts — English, 2020 Jared Blustein Bachelor of Arts — Sociology, 2013 Laura Blustein Open Studies Mercedes Brown Bachelor of Health Science — Nursing, 1993 Karie Burchill Child and Youth Care Worker Diploma, 2000

Sean Crump Open Studies Jan Derbyshire Journalism Diploma program Jason Droboth Bachelor of Science — Geology, 2018 Curtis Desiatnyk Business Administration and Insurance Diploma, 2004 Braden Etzerza Bachelor of Science — Environmental Science, 2019 Danielle Gibbie Bachelor of Business Administration — General Management, 2015 Tia Hagen Bachelor of Communications — Public Relations, 2014 Taryn Hamilton Bachelor of Arts — Criminal Justice, 2019

Jacquie Hertlein Criminology Diploma — Law Enforcement, 1996 Tasha Holness Open Studies Geoff Hughes Business Administration Diploma, 2005 Anna Johnson Bachelor of Business Administration — General Management, 2016 Travis Juska Bachelor of Applied Justice Studies, 2006 Maya Kambeitz General Studies Arts and Science Certificate, 2004 Tim Lipp Bachelor of Business Administration — Accounting and General Management, 2018

Travis McIntosh Bachelor of Applied Policy Studies, 2010 Onyekachi Nwoke Bachelor of Arts — Sociology, 2014 Daria O’Neill Bachelor of Arts — Psychology, 2020 Shannon Pestun Business Administration Diploma — Marketing Management, 1999 Melanie Putic Bachelor of Arts — Sociology, 2014 Chase Schrader Bachelor of Communication — Information Design, 2020 Paul Shumlich Bachelor of Business Administration — General Management, 2017 Rachel Wade General Studies Arts and Science Certificate, 2004 Public Relations Certificate, 2011

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YOU ARE INVITED TO MOUNT ROYAL’S FIRST

JOIN US

SEPT. 24 – 26 Whether your student days were at MRC or at MRU, we can’t wait to have a weekend just for you.

Bring your friends and family to discover and celebrate what MRU is today. Whether you come for one event, or 10 events, Alumni Weekend will have something for everyone!

ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS f Join us on Friday night as we celebrate the 2020 Alumni Achievement Award winners, “blue-tie” style!

PANEL DISCUSSION SERIES f Our MRU community is rich with stories, fascinating research and engaging discussions, as these sessions will highlight.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES f The Mount Royal campus is always growing and evolving.

Bring your family and friends along and take part in a campus-wide scavenger hunt that will introduce you to some of our hidden (and not-so-hidden) treasures.

Registration and full-weekend details, including events specific to your program, are available at mru.ca/AlumniWeekend.

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

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Grads serve up socialism at The Allium An alumnus is feeding his need to be socially responsible with The Allium, a vegetarian restaurant that emphasizes the ethical.

The Calgary eatery is the brainchild of Jared Blustein (Bachelor of Arts — Sociology, 2013).

As a worker co-operative, everyone who works there, from the servers to the chef, is either an invested owner or on their way to becoming one.

“There’s no investor class. No one can make a profit without actually being here and putting in time,” Bluestein said.

Such systems-shattering talk flashes back to when Blustein, his wife Laura and original coowner Richard Alame (Bachelor of Arts — Sociology, 2014) attended Mount Royal together.

Alame has since moved on to a career in education. Professor Tim Haney, PhD, taught Blustein and Alame, and is interested in seeing if The Allium’s disruptive model becomes more the norm.

“We need university graduates who are not afraid to learn, critique, suggest alternatives and, most importantly, pilot and introduce these alternatives,” Haney said.

Richard Alame and Jared Blustein at The Allium

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Two new continuing education programs broaden bill of fare Personal Fitness Trainer Diploma A unique partnership is offering Indigenous students the best of two worlds: earning a Personal Fitness Trainer Diploma from Mount Royal University while experiencing community-based learning on the Tsuut’ina Nation.

Indigenous students from across Canada began their studies at the state-of-the-art Seven Chiefs Sportsplex and Chief Jim Starlight Centre in January 2020.

Lumber and Building Supply Industry Certificate Having an educated, industryaware workforce is so important to the Western Retail Lumber Association (WLRA) that it created its own certificate program. The certificate focuses on areas critical to succeeding in the lumber and building materials sector: industry literacy, negotiation, critical thinking and relationship management skills.

Visit mru.ca/PFT-TTN and mru.ca/WRLA for more information.

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Alumni rewarded for social enterprises Mount Royal alumni invested in making the world a better place took home three of the top four prizes at the 2019 What’s Next YYC. Co-hosted by the Trico Charitable Foundation and the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary, the event recognizes and supports local social enterprises.

“These social enterprises are living proof that students and alumni don’t have to make a choice between a socially responsible and a commercial path, or between doing good and doing well,” said James Stauch, director of the Institute for Community Prosperity at MRU. Each award came with a $25,000 cash prize. The alumni were:

Sean Crump

Tim Lipp

Paul Shumlich

OPEN STUDIES

BACHELOR OF BUSINESS

BACHELOR OF BUSINESS

ADMINISTRATION ­—

ADMINISTRATION — GENERAL

ACCOUNTING AND GENERAL

MANAGEMENT, 2017

CEO of Universal Access, which helps businesses understand the unique relationship between spatial layout, social inclusion and the bottom-line impacts of accessibility.

MANAGEMENT, 2018

Co-founder of Beaverlodge, an app that allows people to perform self-guided energy audits of their homes.

New Mount Royal graduates ready to make positive change MRU welcomed 320 newly minted and work-ready graduates to the alumni family in November. The largest cohort at the fall celebration was from Bachelor of Communication programs, with 35 public relations majors conferred with their degrees.

Also recognized at the prestigious occasion were former professors Joanne Baxter, PhD, and Jacqui McFarland, PhD. The pair represented the ceremony’s professor emeriti contingent.

Mary Anne Moser received an Honorary Doctor of Laws for her dedication to discovery in the world of science and exemplary leadership in the Calgary community. The co-founder of Beakerhead, a weeklong “smash-up” of art, science, workshops, events and performances for the general public, has long been associated with MRU. “This recognition is important to me because I have a lot of respect for both MRU faculty members and the graduates that I have gotten to know. If these are the types of people who teach and learn here, then I am honoured to be recognized by such an institution,” Moser said.

COMING TO THE BELLA DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL DAVE KELLY LIVE HARRY MANX

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Co-founded Deepwater Farms, a state-of-the-art aquaponics operation that produces fish, greens and herbs with little to no waste.

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JOEL PLASKETT

SARAH HARMER TICKETS AND INFO AT

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Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship gets to work on a new Alberta As Calgary works to emerge from a prolonged downturn, the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE) is helping shape the new economy.

Last year, the IIE and MRU’s Career Services collaborated with Calgary Economic Development to co-host the city’s first High-Impact Talent Roundtable.

The focus was on how the right graduates can lead the charge to a brighter future.

In addition, the IIE 2019 Small Business Growth Roundtable examined Alberta’s “scale-up gap”.

Along with hosting events to ensure needed businesses are being developed and have the ability to grow, the IIE is also focusing on an interdisciplinary approach to entrepreneurship. It is actively encouraging Faculty of Science and Technology students to be involved in building enterprises, with numerous science students presenting projects for the Institute’s specialized pitch competition, ONBOARD.

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Student-designed app interprets Blackfoot signage A new app developed by information design student Chase Schrader uses augmented reality (AR) to translate Blackfoot signage in the Riddell Library and Learning Centre (RLLC) into English. Blackfoot way-finding signage was installed when the RLLC was built in 2017. The app helps non-Blackfoot speakers understand the meaning behind the words.

The app — called DeciphAR — works by pointing your phone at one of the signs. It will start scanning and an ‘info card’ will pop up. The cards provide the explanation, the English, the Blackfoot and the button to listen to the pronunciation.

“Indigenous languages generally haven’t been supported and they are really important for us to ground ourselves in the place that we are working and living. This is the language of the land,” said Jessie Loyer, librarian.

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First-ever Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Summit in Canada celebrated at MRU More than 400 educators, students, business leaders, government officials and entrepreneurs gathered on campus in November for the firstever, Canadian-based Women’s Entrepreneurship Day. Alumna Shannon Pestun (Business Administration Diploma), director of Women’s Entrepreneurship at ATB Financial and a member of the Government of Canada’s Expert Panel for Womens Entrepreneurship Strategy, helped organize the event.

Pestun is an alumni representative on MRU’s Board of Governors and an advisory board member for the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WEDO) in Canada.

WEDO is an international volunteer organization that empowers women in business worldwide.

“MRU was a natural fit because of Calgary’s reputation for having an entrepreneurial spirit, as well as the University’s leadership in innovation and women’s entrepreneurship,” Pestun said of the selection of MRU as host.

“The goal is that this becomes an annual event that we bring across the country, using Calgary as an example of what is possible.”

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Alumna, playwright and performer Jan Derbyshire takes on new role R E S E A R C H

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MRU sees marked increase in Tri-Agency funding A 61 per cent bump in the number of Tri-Agency award recipients for the 2018/2019 academic year made it a banner year for research.

“The increase in awards signals our growth, capacity and excellence in research at Mount Royal,” said Michael Quinn, PhD, vice-provost and associate vice-president, Academic. “These grants provide a major boost to the scholarly pursuits of the recipients and provide benefits to our overall research enterprise.”

The Tri-Agencies refer to the Social Sciences and Humanities Resources Council of Canada; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Canadian Institutes of Health Research. MRU’s recipients are:

» Robert Boschman, PhD FACULTY OF ARTS

» Andria Dawson, PhD GENERAL EDUCATION

» Cynthia Gallop, PhD GENERAL EDUCATION

» Gabrielle Lindstrom, PhD FACULTY OF ARTS

» Jonathan Mee, PhD

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

» Irene Shankar, PhD FACULTY OF ARTS

» Bob Uttl, PhD FACULTY OF ARTS

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When the Writer-in-Residence (WiR) program started more than a decade ago, it resided mainly within the English department. The program has evolved to where authors now work with and mentor students from all faculties, with numerous opportunities for authors, students and faculty to exchange ideas and increase awareness of scholarly and artistic endeavours.

Established multi-disciplinary artist Jan Derbyshire took the WiR reins in 2020. Derbyshire, who was a journalism student at Mount Royal, specializes in the design of playful and participatory experiences in theatre, movement, comedy, media and events that push forward ideas of diversity, belonging, civic engagement, perception change and practical applications of theory. She is currently the artistic director of Nervous System Performance based in Vancouver and the inclusive designer-in-residence with Calgary Arts Development.

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Inaugural Field of Crosses installed The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Her Honour, the Honourable Lois Mitchell, joined Field of Crosses founder and MRU honorary degree recipient Murray McCann for a special ceremony at the end of October to unveil the Mount Royal University Field of Crosses. The satellite installation of the annual commemoration that erects more than 3,600 memorial markers along Memorial Drive each year honours 30 Mount Royal students who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.

These valued members of the MRU family are also remembered through the University’s Military Memorial Bursary program. “The Field of Crosses memorial is honoured that Mount Royal University would choose to memorialize their own heroes and welcome them back to campus in the form of a memorial cross,” McCann said.

Donations to fund the Military Memorial Bursary program can be made online at mru.ca/MMB.

Geology alumnus Jason Droboth travelled to Yukon and Northwest Territories with Katherine Boggs, PhD. TVP students at Mount Royal College in the early 1980s.

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Unifying the national geoscientist community Associate Professor Katherine Boggs, PhD, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, is at the forefront of the formation of an ambitious research project that could end up including data amassed from up to 1,400 observatories across the Canadian land mass. Dubbed “EON-ROSE” (Earth-System Observing Network — Réseau d’Observation du Système Terrestre), the goal is to add a variety of sensors to existing Earth Systems Observatories, including cameras (still and video), weather stations, permafrost monitors, atmospheric gas sensors and a variety of geophysical sensors. The result could provide real-time, openly available data of entire Earth systems — everything from the formation of the northern lights in the magnetosphere through to the solid crust of the planet and deep into the underlying semi-molten mantle.

“We’re trying to beat down traditional research silos to get people collaborating across disciplines,” Boggs said. Ideally, this includes numerical weather modellers, space physics, and oceanographic, atmospheric, hydrological, cryospheric and ecosystem sciences.

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TVP celebrates four decades of empowering students For 40 years, Mount Royal’s Transitional Vocational Program (TVP) has lived its values of empowerment, teamwork, professionalism, accountability and respect. Established in 1980, the program provides a variety of post-secondary opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities.

TVP provides personalized learning that supports students in gaining independence and finding greater involvement in their communities. Its one-year Employment Preparation Certificate has been a part of the program since its inception. The certificate prepares students for competitive employment and community living, combining on-campus instruction with community-based work practicums in a variety of businesses — from auto repair to child care.

TVP is part of the Faculty of Continuing Education and Extension and offers part-time studies, such as Learner’s Licence test preparation and functional literacy and math. Join in the 40th anniversary celebrations at the program’s annual fundraiser, Big Bob’s BBQ, on May 28.

Register today at

mrucamps.com

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Women’s hockey carves out new legacy The Cougars women’s hockey team closed out the Crowchild Classic this year, playing in the evening slot for the first time since the tournament’s inception eight years ago. It was another boisterous crowd of 10,000 for this annual hockey doubleheader against archrivals, the University of Calgary Dinos. The attendance count at the Scotiabank Saddledome set a nationwide U Sports attendance record for women’s collegiate hockey, to which team captain Daria O’Neill said, “The first time getting the late game was pretty exciting for us.”

Playing in front of such a crowd was “nervewracking” at first, but the crowd built a lot of momentum for the team. “You hear the students cheering for you and it helps a lot,” she said.

The women headed into the Classic in fifth place in Canada West and fought hard throughout the match. It was a tight game that ended at 2-1 for the Dinos, a disappointing final score that seemed to inspire the Cougars into action.

The women may have lost to UCalgary at the ‘Dome, but they reset quickly to beat them the very next day. And they kept winning.

They finished out the season in fourth place, and started off the Canada West playoffs by shutting out the University of Regina twice.

Underdogs, they moved on to face off against the Dinos once again, losing the first game but then coming back to win two in a row to take the series in a major upset.

This resulted in a silver medal for the Cougars, a best-ever conference finish for a Mount Royal team since entering Canada West. Their efforts culminated in a trip to nationals, where they beat the heavyweight Varsity Blues of the University of Toronto — ranked second in Canada — in the quarter-finals. The competition was cancelled shortly after the game, but the win did lead to a top-four finish in the nation for the team.

First-year Emma Bergesen was named to the U Sports All-Rookie team in recognition of her outstanding season.

On the men’s side of the Crowchild Classic, it was another nail biter. The game ended regulation time in a 4−4 tie, but it was to be the Cougars’ year. Second-year student Ryley Lindgren earned the title of game hero by scoring first in overtime, assisted by first-year Keegan Iverson.

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Women’s volleyball team aces season The Cougars women’s volleyball team stepped to the net to scoop the final spot to nationals after a record-setting year. They finished the regular season in second place with a 21−3 record — the most wins for any MRU varsity team since receiving U Sports status. It was the first time the women’s volleyball team earned a showing at the country’s top collegiate competition since entering the ultra-competitive Canada West Conference in 2011. Unfortunately, nationals were called off before the games began.

The women made a huge impact in Canada West this year. As selected by the conference’s head coaches, Nyadholi Thokbuom was appointed to the First Team All-Stars, while Chantel Park and Quinn Pelland made it to the Second Team All-Stars.

But perhaps the most talked-about player was Tasha Holness, a veteran who returned to the Cougars after a 15-year hiatus playing professionally around the world.

When asked why she came back to her alma mater, Holness said, “In short, Coach Sandra Lamb, friends and love for the sport are all reasons.”

Positioned at middle, Holness was key cog for her squad. “She is the glue for this team and is respected by all,” said Coach Sandra Lamb.

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Thousands of moments of sports history to view

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Cougars athletes also academic leaders

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It was a record-breaking year, with a remarkable 74 MRU Cougars earning Academic All-Canadian status for the 2018/2019 season. Varsity studentathletes must maintain a 3.4 GPA while enrolled full time to receive this honour. These top performers make up a hefty 44 per cent of all studentathletes at MRU, firmly entrenching Mount Royal as an academic leader in the Canada West conference.

“The Academic All-Canadian award We are extremely proud of acknowledges the work that studentour student-athletes and the athletes do in the classroom and time commitment it takes to brings into focus our first priorities of academics,” said Cougars athletics excel in all areas, including and recreation director Karla Karch. in the classroom, athletics The women’s soccer team led the way with 16 Academic All-Canadians, and in the community.” followed by women’s hockey with 15 — KARLA KARCH, COUGARS ATHLETICS AND and men’s hockey with 12, with the rest RECREATION DIRECTOR scattered througout other programs.

Find out how all of your Cougars teams did this year at mrucougars.com

MRU’s Archives and Special Collections recently received its largest and most valuable donation to date. The Blaine Canadian Sports History Collection consists of 7,000 pieces documenting the history of Canadian hockey, football, baseball, golf and the Calgary Stampede.

Curated by local collector Robert Blaine over 40 years, there are game and tournament programs, team and player photographs, trading cards, promotional pins, buttons and pennants. Blaine’s generous donation gives people the opportunity to research and learn about the development of Canadian sport by studying original primary sources.

Anyone can enjoy the Blaine Collection, as well as all the amenities the Riddell Library and Learning Centre has to offer. Go to mru.ca/RLLC for more information.

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MRU’s Top 40 Under 40 These three individuals were recognized in Avenue magazine’s annual “Top 40 Under 40” list.

Their commonality is a deep commitment to community service.

Travis Juska

Maya Kambeitz

Rachel Wade

CERTIFICATE, 2004

2004, PUBLIC RELATIONS CERTIFICATE, 2011

INTELLIGENCE GROUP

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

MANAGER OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION,

CALGARY POLICE SERVICE

NORFOLK HOUSING ASSOCIATION

CULTURE AND ENGAGEMENT

BACHELOR OF APPLIED JUSTICE STUDIES, 2006 ACTING STAFF SERGEANT, STRATEGIC

GENERAL STUDIES ARTS AND SCIENCE

GENERAL STUDIES ARTS AND SCIENCE CERTIFICATE,

PARKLAND FUEL CORPORATION

“Since a very young age I felt the call to servant leadership and to giving back to my community.”

Travis Juska’s job as an officer within Calgary Police Service is only a small part of his contributions to the community. He has put thousands of hours into volunteering outside of his paid job, promoting child literacy by reading to elementary kids in schools, coaching basketball for high-risk youth and crossing Canada on foot to raise awareness for victims of crime.

Additionally, he was the project manager for the Connect Line app, linking victims of domestic violence with resources and services in Calgary.

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“I really enjoyed my time at MRU and had many wonderful instructors with real-life experience who were working in the same field they were teaching.”

Maya Kambeitz is the executive director of Norfolk Housing Association, providing affordable and inclusive housing to clients of varying socio-economic backgrounds.

Kambeitz immigrated to Calgary from Bosnia when she was 10 years old, and understands the many challenges facing those in search of affordable housing.

Under her guidance, Norfolk has gone from a small company with limited funding and aging assets to a robust organization, recently acquiring its first additional building in 15 years without the need for government funding.

“I made it my goal to create a better, more intentional impact in diversity and inclusion and to drive my career in that direction.”

When Rachel Wade isn’t securing funding to save a local charitable wildlife society from folding in her free time as board president of the Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society, she can be found at work challenging the professional world to create inclusive and diverse environments, encouraging both individuality and teamwork. What began as a side-of-desk project when employed at ATB Financial has grown into a passionate calling. Now with Parkland Fuel, Wade is taking her advocacy to a global level, creating opportunities for all people to succeed.

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Student Adam Solway’s independent film premiers in Los Angeles Written and directed by broadcast media studies student Adam Solway, the short film A Night Out made its debut on the final day of the LA Skins Fest in Hollywood.

“The story follows a slacker named Jared as he pressures his younger cousin Tommy to come with him to a rez party. Life doesn’t stand still and the night doesn’t go as planned. It soon turns into confronting insecurities and fears about leaving home and the chances we miss in life,” Solway said.

The film was made through the Napi Collective, a filmmaking group based out of Solway’s home community of the Siksika Nation. A Night Out was the collective’s third project.

“I brought up a lot of stuff, not even just about myself, but about people who I’ve grown up with, things that I’ve seen. I wanted to present that in a way that I felt comfortable with, which was through film.”

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Intersections depicts human commonalities

Photo taken in Tokyo, Japan, by alumnus Curtis Desiatnyk.

As part of Alberta’s annual Exposure Photography Festival, Intersections encourages viewers to journey around the world in just a few steps. Travel to destinations such as Tokyo, Shanghai, Bangladesh, Paris, Barcelona, New York and more through the photo exhibit, found at the East Gate entrance on Main Street.

“The idea of Intersections is to show the connection between people across the world. It says we are the same at the core,” said organizer Curtis Desiatnyk, chair of Mount Royal’s Art Committee and an alumnus of the Business Administration and Insurance Diploma program.

“For the past two years we’ve tied our Exposure exhibits into the University’s strategic visions for indigenization and inclusivity. This year we wanted to do internationalization,” Desiatnyk said.

They chose to go with the style of street photography and a variety of approaches are included.

Featured photographers are: Jeremy Fokkens, Asim Overstands, Zach Polis, Cary Schatz, Anne Tapler White and Curtis Desiatnyk .

MRU.CA/SUMMIT

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B L EED

B LU E

I N NOVAT I V E T E ACH I N G

Every student deserves a great prof WORDS BY MARLENA CROSS

They say obstacles are opportunities, something these three professors have proven true. They all teach what used to be an unpopular course, but have managed to turn them into favourites among students. It all comes down to a combination of proven relevance and great instructorial value.

B AC K T O T H E F U T U R E T E AC H I N G I M M E R S E S S T U D E N T S Medievalist Kenna Olsen, PhD, says her classes are often left to the end of a student’s studies, because they are afraid that they will be too challenging. But the professor is making English from the Middle Ages more accessible to students by using immersive spaces to recreate the energy of tense political environments of the past. She says studying a medieval reference on controversy, such as taxation and even climate change, offers a new perspective on modern problems.

“I challenge the idea that a topic is brand new,” Olsen says. “There is a history of manipulation using the arts — like poetry — to influence political movements.”

T E AC H I N G T O R E C O G N I Z E B I A S F O R S T R O N G E R P U B L I C H E A LT H Despite the strong demand for MRU’s nursing program, courses in community health, which focus on how to improve the overall health of populations, are less popular among students.

They fear taking time away from mastering technical skills — like starting an intravenous or giving an injection — will slow their progress. But Professor Aliyah Dosani, PhD, is expanding their ideas about the types of skills they’ll need as a nurse. Uncovering root causes of ill health and then exploring what can be done is part of the profession.

“Nursing isn’t just about needle pokes,” Dosani says, “and learning the skills to become a nurse isn’t just memorization.”

FOSTERING A SENSE OF WONDER AMONG SCIENCE STUDENTS Associate Professor Alexis Morris, PhD, is tackling the too-common dislike of a subject he’s passionate about — physics. By changing the teaching method from memorizing equations to telling stories, Morris is inspiring a sense of wonder and curiosity for how the world works. And although not everyone will become a scientist, he says it’s important that students acquire the problem-solving skills learned in the physics discipline.

“There’s no shortage of problems, and no shortage of employers looking for people who will find solutions,” Morris says.

This story continues online at mru.ca/GreatProfs Give to Teach

Donating to the Student Academic Experience Fund improves the current curriculum, provides training for MRU instructors and offers better academic resources to students. Visit mru.ca/GiveToTeach to learn more.

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FA S T

Quantifying “out there” learning

FAC T S

Community Service Learning (CSL) is an option provided through many courses at Mount Royal where students apply their education to complex issues outside of classroom walls. Students can earn a CSL designation on their degrees by completing three courses employing community engagement. Just a few examples of these opportunities are studies in conservation biology, seniors’ health, nursing practicums, child health and research methods in chemistry. Some CSL courses also include field schools.

NUMBER OF CSL-DESIGNATED COURSES OFFERED

50+ 60%

1 in 4

GRADUATING STUDENTS REPORTED PARTICIPATING IN VOLUNTEER OR COMMUNIT Y SERVICE ACTIVITIES ON AND OFF CAMPUS

OF GRADS PARTICIPATED IN E XPERIENTIAL LE ARNING OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING SERVICE LE ARNING, CO-OPS, PRACTICUMS AND INTERNSHIPS

NUMBER OF PARTNER COMMUNIT Y ASSOCIATIONS

500+

287

STUDENTS GRADUATED IN SPRING 2019 WITH A CSL DESIGNATION ON THEIR TRANSCRIP TS

Source: Christian Cook, PhD, CSL facilitator

NUMBER OF HOURS OF COMMUNIT Y SERVICE

300,000+ MRU.CA /SUMMIT

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D I S COV ER

M O U N T

R OYA L’ S

I N S T I T U T E S

Bridging the wider community WORDS BY PETER GLENN AND ROB PETROLLINI

Just about every post-secondary institution houses a number of institutes, and they seem important. But most people wouldn’t be able to tell you what they do.

Institutes facilitate collaborative, multidisciplinary research and are bridges to the wider community the university serves. They are also responsible for their own funding.

Mount Royal University has four institutes and one affiliated institute.

Each is focused on a different goal, pursuing support through donors aligned with their vision and fostering local and global partnerships. They thrive through community engagement and provide students with exceptional research opportunities.

INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITY PROSPERITY The Institute for Community Prosperity (ICP) blends community awareness with academic problem-based learning and scholarly insight. It is a space to test new ideas and to foster inspiration for the next generation of social impact leaders who will respond to the complex challenges in the world.

Map the System is a program hosted by the Institute that helps students across campus understand, describe and explore potential solutions to a social or environmental challenge. Recent winners of the challenge have all gone on to place among the top two teams in Canada.

Student teams have focused on the opioid crisis in Canada (which also won the top global prize at Oxford), Indigenous food security and missing and murdered Indigenous women.

The ICP is led

by Director James Stauch. mru.ca/ICP

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INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY Committed to research and scholarship, learning and community engagement, the Institute for Environmental Sustainabilty’s (IES’s) main directive is to support Mount Royal faculty in conducting environmentallybased research. The Institute is involved in initiatives across all faculties, and to date, nearly 40 research projects have been funded, enabling the work of undergraduate research assistants. Within the Institute resides a unique collaboration with the Canadian Parks Council and the Canadian Parks Collective for Innovation and Leadership (CPCIL). A pan-Canadian centre of excellence, the CPCIL develops and connects emerging leaders, innovative managers and engaged scholars in pursuit of the effective, inclusive, equitable and sustainable stewardship of parks and conservation areas.

The IES is led by Academic Director Connie Van der Byl, PhD. mru.ca/IES

R E SE A R C H

INSTITUTE FOR INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP With the mandate of developing the highimpact talent that is essential to Alberta’s economic prosperity, the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE) delivers a number of transformational opportunities to students. Learning experiences are interwoven into every one of the Institute’s programs. The IIE provides mentorship and funding for co-curricular projects, engages industry in capstone experiences and offers numerous undergraduate research opportunities. It provides such experiences as the JMH LaunchPad Pitch Competition, the ATB Internship Sprint and ONBOARD, all of which concentrate on developing community-minded and innovative businesses. Recently the IIE has been focused on introducing science and technology students to the entrepreneurial world.

The IIE is led by Director Ray DePaul. mru.ca/IIE

THE INSTITUTE FOR SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND LEARNING* The Institute for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISoTL) supports a community of scholars by advancing the existing body of knowledge about teaching and learning specifically in the context of higher education. ISoTL has created a teaching development program where some of the first cohort’s projects include inquiries into maker and design thinking, classroom motivational climate, self-regulated learning support tools, computer-based testing, feedback in a Community Service Learning environment, and Aristotle on teaching and learning. As well, a suite of grants includes Special Topic Grants that are co-funded with other areas on campus to support inquiry into great teaching tactics. Each year ISoTL runs the international Symposium on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.

ISoTL is led by Director Michelle Yeo, PhD. mru.ca/ISoTL

SN A P S H OT S

MIISTAKIS INSTITUTE A research institute, conservation charity and social enterprise, the Miistakis Institute brokers, transfers and mobilizes knowledge. As Mount Royal University’s only affiliated research institute, the Miistakis Institute explores opportunities to enhance MRU’s environmental research capacity and works with faculty, staff and students to realize green outcomes. At any given time, Miistakis is engaged in 20 to 30 different projects. The Institute was heavily involved in Call of the Wetland for the last two years, a citizen science program to determine amphibian presence in Calgary’s wetlands. Currently a collaborative initiative called Calgary Captured is using remote cameras installed in green spaces throughout the city to capture photos of wildlife to better understand biodiversity in our urban landscape.

The Miistakis Institute is led by Executive Director Danah Duke. rockies.ca

* On July 1, the Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning will fold into the Academic Development Centre to help further Mount Royal’s commitment to quality instruction. Its role will be expanded to help support faculty research development.

The Academic Development Centre provides leadership, instructional design and curriculum development support, project planning and development assistance, technological expertise and media production support to faculty members. The two will work together to implement teaching and learning research in the classroom.

MRU.CA /SUMMIT

17

A LU M N I

You asked, we listened..

A few things we've set up for you:

Dear alumni,

ALUMNI ONECARD

Your Alumni OneCard is the secret to unlocking your perks, on and off campus. You can order your card for free online.

Last spring, more than 3,500 of you told us what you want from Mount Royal as alumni. Here’s what we heard: f you want to hear more about alumni news, special offers and alumni activities f you want us to help you continue to learn and grow professionally f you want to give back to help today’s MRU students succeed Your response means a lot to us. It’s your feedback that will help us offer what matters to you.

Wherever life takes you, remember, you always belong here.

Danielle Gibbie CHAIR, MRU ALUMNI COUNCIL BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION — GENERAL MANAGEMENT, 2015

UPDATE & WIN

Perks include: f free lifetime membership for the Riddell Library and Learning Centre f discounts at the Taylor Centre for the Performing Arts, MRU Recreation and for MRU Continuing Education courses f preferred rates on home, auto, tenant, travel, life and health insurance Learn more at mru.ca/AlumniPerks.

VOLUNTEERING

You now have a hub to explore volunteer opportunities to help share your expertise while enriching the student experience.

Find out more at mru.ca/AlumniVolunteer.

CONNECTIONS

Check out our brand-new website, dedicated to all things alumni. Plus, sign up for the short and sweet e-bulletin for updates, delivered to you every Thursday morning. Put your name in at mru.ca/Always.

WIN A TRIP FOR TWO TO ARGENTINA TO VISIT OCÉANO PATAGONIA an alumna-owned business and luxury beachside eco-hotel located in a UNESCO World Heritage site.

To enter, update your contact information at mru.ca/Always.

Terms and conditions apply. Please see contest form for details.

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We represent you Get to know your Alumni Council representatives

As of June 2019, you have official representation on campus and in the community through the Alumni Council, comprised of eight alumni members and one student representative. The council’s role is to advocate for you, represent your interests and ensure the opportunities you want are being created.

How can alumni stay connected with Mount Royal?

Volunteer for the Harry G. Schaefer Mentorship Program, check out mru.ca/Alumni, and use your alumni discount to show support for the Cougars. — MERCEDES BROWN, BACHELOR OF HEALTH SCIENCE — NURSING, 1993 Why is an Alumni Council important?

We act as ambassadors for MRU within our broader community and strengthen the relationship between MRU and its alumni. — DANIELLE GIBBIE, BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION — GENERAL MANAGEMENT, 2015 Why is it important for alumni to stay connected to their alma mater?

Staying connected offers a community where your history and experience will always be valued. You will benefit from your alma mater, long after graduation. — TIA HAGEN, BACHELOR OF COMMUNICATION — PUBLIC RELATIONS, 2014 How has MRU prepared you for life after these halls?

My experience at Mount Royal enabled me to fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a police officer and achieve my life purpose as a humanitarian and athlete. — JACQUIE HERTLEIN, CRIMINOLOGY DIPLOMA — LAW ENFORCEMENT, 1996 What’s one way that MRU alumni can positively help their alma mater?

Talk about your experience. Talk about the impact that MRU had on you — not only from when you went there, but five, 10, 20, 40 years later. — GEOFF HUGHES, BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DIPLOMA, 2005 What excites you about being an international representative on the Alumni Council?

I am honoured to support the work of the Council in strengthening new and existing relationships among present, future and past alumni living abroad. — ANNA JOHNSON, BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION — GENERAL MANAGEMENT, 2016 Why did you initially get involved with the Alumni Council?

MRU inspires me by engaging and captivating alumni and future alumni.

— TRAVIS MCINTOSH, BACHELOR OF APPLIED POLICY STUDIES, 2010

Why should alumni attend Alumni Weekend?

Alumni Weekend provides the perfect opportunity to see first-hand how much the institution has changed for the better since you were last on campus. (see page 48 for more on Nwoke) — ONYEKACHI NWOKE, BACHELOR OF ARTS — SOCIOLOGY, 2014

What’s important for students to know about being alumni?

One common whisper among students is that they lose touch with their networks post-graduation. Students need to know that more often than not, opportunity is only an email away.

— JOE PLANT, STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE, BACHELOR OF ARTS — ANTHROPOLOGY

Reach out to the alumni council at alumnicouncil@mtroyal.ca if you have questions or topics you would like to be considered.

MRU.CA /SUMMIT

19

brave

We’re going to have to be

Alumna’s dream project in Argentina overcame corruption to reach fruition

WORDS BY PETER GLENN PHOTOS BY CHAO ZHANG

The harassment began during construction.

It came first from the private sector, but then more ominously from the municipal government. For three years, nefarious officials threatened to tear down or close an eco-friendly hotel located in a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There was a method to the mayhem, paving a path to bribery. “Those in power involved in organized corruption are skilled at making the lives of their targets very uncomfortable,” says Argentine hotel developer Marcelo Battilana, “to the point where they are worn down and willing to pay bribes in order to move forward.”

Argentina’s Península Valdés, on the coast of Patagonia, is a protected nature reserve world renowned for its marine wildlife, including Southern Right whales, sea lions, penguins, dolphins and elephant seals.

More than 300,000 visitors come from around the world each year to observe these creatures in their natural habitat, a safaristyle adventure that, with luck, includes an opportunity to see the rare behaviour of the peninsula’s orcas who hunt by “surfing” onto the beach to snatch their prey.

“Our calm bay provides a critical cradle for some of the world’s most important and loved marine species,” explains Mount Royal alumna Sharilyn Amy. “These animals all come here to breed

and birth their young. The area is like a nursery for them because it provides exactly the right environment they need.

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‘We are just a small project; corruption is so institutionalized. Would all this risk really make a difference?’

Some species live with us for six or seven months of the year; others yearround,” Amy says. Meanwhile, rheas (a flightless bird distinctly related to the emu and ostrich), guanacos (related to the llama), maras (a hare-like rodent) and at least 181 bird species inhabit the peninsula.

After graduating from Mount Royal with a Public Relations Diploma in 1995, Amy got a taste for working abroad with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in China, Switzerland and Bangladesh. Returning to Calgary, she earned an MBA, started a family and opened Go-To Group, a small consultancy supporting non-profits.

When she felt she needed to make a big change in her life and establish a new home for her family, she chose Argentina.

“I explored every nook and cranny of the country, mostly on horseback, and got some clarity on what was calling me and lighting me up for the next challenge and phase of my life,” Amy says. She began working with Battilana and they put together a deal to build Océano Patagonia on the beach overlooking the Southern Right whale’s breeding grounds.

They formed a pact early on to avoid the culture of corruption often associated with construction in the country. Enduring and overcoming would tax them more than they could have imagined.

“When I got into this project, I said, ‘I’m Canadian. We have powerful anticorruption laws and believe strongly in honesty and fairness, which means that this has to be an absolutely clean project, start to finish, or I’m not participating.’ And (Battilana) said, ‘I’m Argentine, and I feel the same way.’ I said, ‘Well good, because we’re going to have to be brave.’ ”

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— Marcelo Battilana

When they moved to the project’s design stage, they “decided to build a sustainable hotel from the first brick,” Battilana says.

The resort is located in Puerto Pirámides, a sea village of about 400 people, 95 kilometres along the coast from Puerto Madryn in Argentina’s Chubut Province. To benefit the local community, the pair supported familyrun or small businesses when possible, but over time the project drew the attention of nefarious parties and so the challenges and threats began.

At the end of 2018, while in the permitting approval process, Battilana received the first formal request for a bribe. The command was repeated in February 2019. A shadowy woman said she had links to high-powered Argentine officials and that she could get the needed consents. She demanded US$300,000, and while meeting with her and an “official” Battilana was told these problems would all go away if he came through with the bribe. At that point, Battilana and Amy decided to work with the public prosecutor’s office in nearby Puerto Madryn, led

by Chief Prosecutor Daniel Baez. “(He) asked me if I was willing to help in the investigation, which I agreed to without having much of an idea what I was getting into,” Battilana recalls. “But I was so angry, felt such indignation, I didn’t give a thought to the risk I was

taking.” The threats and intimidation, first from unions and then from the officials, had been going on for about three years.

As part of a sting operation to help the prosecutor gather evidence, Battilana began to “play the game,” interacting with Marcela Montero, the woman who had offered to act as a mediator. Phone calls and WhatsApp messages with Montero were recorded for the sixmonth investigation.

Battilana met with Montero and her associate Alberto Vargas in a restaurant in Puerto Madryn. During these meetings, which were filmed and recorded by the investigation team as evidence while an undercover police officer sat nearby as backup, Battilana was told that if he paid an advance on the bribe “they would give us the final approval for our development, and then we could make the last payment. It was like paying in installments.”

Vargas was not only politically connected as the former secretary of the provincial governor and onetime president of the provincial lottery (where he had to resign due to a corruption complaint), he was also known to have guns.

“I still remember how I felt after that meeting. It was scary; I can’t lie.

I was afraid and I was wondering why I participated in the sting. I began to second-guess the decision because these are very bad people and I

realized that I was risking my family and myself for something that didn’t seem to be of interest to anyone. I thought, ‘We are just a small project; corruption is so institutionalized. Would all this risk really make a difference?’ The meeting ended late, and as I drove back to the hotel. I realized I couldn’t wait to get back to safety. It was like wanting to bathe to get the dirt off of yourself.”

The sting operation resulted in raids and charges of influence peddling against Alberto Vargas and Marcela Montero. As of the beginning of March, the trial had not yet concluded. In a separate incident, Vargas was charged with the possession of child pornography as well. Since then, Amy and Battilana have worked to raise the public profile of the case and assist Argentine media in covering the story. They have also worked with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the FBI and others to share their experiences as a case study on how small businesses are targeted and can fall victim to corruption.

“It was certainly several months of intense stress and challenges while we were both building, opening and operating the hotel, and then working with justice (the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights) to support their corruption investigation. Honestly, we are very proud of the work and risks we took to help bring a case together,” Amy says. “But it is very important to note that we are not alone in wanting to see things improve and be done well here in Argentina. Taking such a public role with these subjects has helped us identify other people fighting the same good fight both here in Argentina and around the globe. There are amazing people working on both sustainability and justice issues and there’s a lot to be celebrated in the advancement of both these causes.”

Battilana is grateful for the support of the prosecutor’s office. That said, he worries that other whistleblowers may not enjoy that same protection.

“There are many different agencies working on anti-corruption laws and practices, but so much more needs to be done to ensure that citizens can participate safely in their justice system and help prosecutors build cases. I would like to think that in other parts of the world it is different, but when we speak to international agencies about our experience, it seems this is truly a global issue. We need to find better ways to encourage and support citizens who participate in the fight against corruption.”

Responsible development results in wide reach Océano Patagonia was built to honour its location in a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Environmental technologies used in its construction include: » geothermal power provides heating, air conditioning

» » » » »

and hot water with only five per cent of the energy required by other systems grey water recycling reduces consumption by half walls are made of retak brick, which insulates and reduces noise transference photovoltaic panels contribute to energy generation LED lighting lowers electricity use by 20 per cent furnishings are made with recycled wood

Ten months after completing construction and opening commercially in 2016, the hotel finished second in the national Hoteles Más Verdes competition, the top sustainable tourism competition in Argentina, with judges participating from around the world. A few months later it was chosen as one of the most innovative projects in the province of Chubut and included in the Chubut Innova 2017 guide.

The project has also provided a chance to improve the lives of visitors and nearby residents. Examples include working with the municipal government to support new approaches to sustainable development and talks with the international Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and several embassies to provide developmental programming and funds to increase capacity in justice and the environment. Amy also coaches women in small business.

“Océano Patagonia, the way in which we developed it sustainably and our work with the justice system to fight corruption, has provided us with a platform and credibility and we will not waste it,” Amy says.

The Mount Royal arsenal Amy’s post-secondary education began at Mount Royal in the public relations program. MRU public relations chair Allison MacKenzie says many of the skills taught in the program can transfer into an entrepreneurial setting.

“In today’s competitive business environment, communication skills and business acumen are critical core skills for successful entrepreneurs and executives like Sharilyn Amy,” MacKenzie says. “In addition to its focus on skill development in key areas such as media and government relations, public relations strategy, issues management and crisis communications, our students have multiple opportunities in the classroom and in working with community partners to develop and hone their business skills in areas such as finance, international business, marketing, policy administration, innovation and technology.”

Senior students work with community partners to identify and explore their most critical challenges or opportunities and then to create an on-brand, mission-focused, affordable and organizationally-appropriate response. Financial and investor relations courses teach students how to plan and manage the communications function within public and private companies.

“By engaging in these activities, students develop exceptional skills in organizational strategy, key message development, audience segmentation and tapping into traditional and social media,” MacKenzie says.

Duking it out with dishonesty — the cause and effect Corruption remains a challenge and an obstacle to businesses worldwide, but why?

One of the core tenets of the rule of law

is that no person is “above or below the law.” This means laws apply equally and fairly to everyone while police and courts can’t be arbitrary in the application of law.

“Some would argue that the key to a country withstanding long-term economic and social instability is a vibrant and meaningful democratic process,” says Doug King, justice studies professor at Mount Royal University. “Without a vibrant democratic process, countries can fall into authoritarian rule, which often leads to economic instability and erosion of the rule of law.”

Corruption is generally done covertly, can involve individuals or groups and often relies on others “turning a blind eye.”

Certainly no country is immune, but Argentina’s volatile political history may have contributed to a culture of corruption.

Despite attempts to stop it, bribes, kickbacks and payoffs of government officials remain common.

That “culture of corruption” means that corrupt practices are the expected norm.

“Typically, corruption starts with a power imbalance between individual groups,” King says. “The more powerful have the ability and opportunity to extort the less powerful.

Power can come in the form of wealth and political influence. It can be reinforced by long-standing customs and traditions. Nations that have less of a tradition of an independent justice system are more susceptible to widespread corruption. This is especially true when the justice system is heavily influenced by the powerful elements (such as wealth and political power) in the society.”

Frank Cotae, PhD, associate professor

in international business at MRU, explains that corruption in Argentina can be linked to mismanagement of the economy, which was exacerbated by the Falklands War with the U.K. in 1982 and has still not rebounded.

Cotae points to some strategies Canadian businesses can use to fight corruption in a foreign country, including using a local export management company or agent that will compete based on connections rather than payouts. Trade commissioners and the economic office at embassies can also help. A press release commending local politicians for allowing a business owner to build an environmentally safe project or for assisting in creating a certain number of jobs can also be beneficial.

That said, “The truth is that sometimes no strategy can provide complete protection against a corrupt official. A business owner should ask themselves if the project is worth the risk,” Cotae says.

Amy and Battilana’s challenges in Argentina speak to those faced in many countries. It is something the OECD fights every day to strengthen development.

At the heart of its efforts is the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention.

“The biggest and most pressing issue for us is the low level of enforcement,” says Drago Kos, chair of the OECD Working Group on Bribery, adding that what is required is focusing on detection, protecting whistleblowers, involving media to shine a light on corruption, boosting resources to law enforcement and engaging companies in helping to combat bribery.

“Typically, corruption starts with a power imbalance between individual groups.”

— Doug King

MRU.CA/SUMMIT

25

OTAHPIA AKI The name Otahpiaaki comes from the Blackfoot language and describes the moment when the sole and the vamp of a moccasin are sewn together.

WORDS BY MICHELLE BODNAR PHOTOS BY LEONORA ANDRÉ

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Design by Derek Jagodzinsky

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Designs by Derek Jagodzinsky

Taking back what was taken from In only four years, Otahpiaaki has grown from an idea sprouted in a Mount Royal classroom into a full-blown Indigenous fashion exhibition. It brings to the floor couture-class talent and world-class designs and at the same time contests historic and on-going wrongs against Indigenous Peoples. As described by faculty champion, Associate Professor Patti Derbyshire (marketing), “Otahpiaaki attempts to hold a place for truth, for healing and for dialogue.”

With initial support from the Suncor Energy Foundation, the social enterprise was inspired by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 83, which states, “We call upon the Canada Council for the Arts to establish, as a funding priority, a strategy for Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists

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to undertake collaborative projects and produce works that contribute to the reconciliation process.”

This means using creativity as a platform to explore the legacy of the residential school era and other assimilationist policies, water and land protection, cultural appropriation and the severe impacts of the Indian Act, as well as to draw attention to the realities of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada, disproportionate rates of incarceration, and continuing racism, stereotyping and violence.

Otahpiaaki’s founders and their partner designers are doing the work of ripping apart the seams of these systemic inequities. And the result is much more than a fashion show.

Drawing a new pattern Deep research forms the underpinnings of Otahpiaaki.

During her recent sabbatical, Derbyshire spent time investigating the concept of “epistemicide,” or the killing of knowledge systems, in collaboration with designer Justin Louis (Maskwacis’ Samson Cree Nation) of Section 35, who has been with Otahpiaaki from the beginning. The term epistemicide was coined

by Boaventura de Sousa Santos.

“Epistemicide erodes personhood by making one’s lived experience invisible or invalid,” Derbyshire says, but explains that Otahpiaaki is helping to reveal and legitimize the perceptions of Indigenous Peoples.

“On the runway, I see humanitarian and revolutionary educators. In collections, I see the continuous cycles of action and reflection about Indigenous truths, justice and injustice.”

An example is Louis’ Red Jacket, which was shown at Otahpiaaki 2018: Pride & Protest. This tapwewin/truth collection (presented with a number of other designers) is intended to reflect the lack of justice felt following the deaths of Colten Boushie (Cree, Red Pheasant First Nation) and Tina Fontaine (Sagkeeng First Nation), as well as the Oka crisis.

Louis worked with Kinyeto Horn-Miller of the Mohawk Nation. At four years old she was being held by her 14-year-old sister, Waneek, who was stabbed with a bayonet by a Canadian soldier at Oka. “Trauma shaped their lives,” Louis says. His jacket symbolizes the story of the event and how it has continued to affect the sisters and the community. It also speaks to the many influences that contribute to epistemicide, which he is hoping to help overwrite through fashion.

“A single garment can anchor new stories that deepen social movements, communities, youth and educational institutions,” Derbyshire says. In February 2020, Otahpiaaki won the Remarkable Innovation! Award from ArtsBridges, a hub for community-engaged arts in Canada.

As well as promoting the designers of amazing clothes and accessories, Otahpiaaki is supporting Indigenous people in creating their own wealth and keeping it safe. Like a really great outfit, the concept is layered and complex, and is setting a trend for a more equitable future.

Design by Evan Ducharme

` Design by Justin Louis Accessories by Jaymie Campbell Photo by Kelly Hofer

Design by Jaymie Campbell

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Fighting cultural appropriation A singular and massive challenge that continues to plague Indigenous designers is cultural appropriation, which is visible from cheap trinkets sold at dollar stores through to the pinnacle of haute couture.

Mount Royal justice studies alumna and Otahpiaaki co-founder Taryn Hamilton is helping to strengthen the legal foundation needed for Indigenous artists and designers to properly protect their intellectual property. After beginning her awardwinning research at Mount Royal, and with guidance from Elder Jeannie Smith-Davis (Piikani Nation), Hamilton is now working towards her law degree at the University of Victoria.

Current legislation does not protect custodianship, including how Indigenous designs can be passed down from generation to generation in families.

“You can’t actually patent those, because you need to have the rights owner from the beginning of time,” Hamilton says, who is Nēhîthâwâk (Woodland Cree) from the Barren Lands First Nation in Northern Manitoba.

Focusing on promoting and protecting the unique identities, land-based stories, industrial designs and intellectual property rights of Indigenous designers and artists, Hamilton is deconstructing intellectual property laws in Canada, starting with the Trademarks Act, Copyright Act and Industrial Design Act. An idea is to bring collections back to communities to “file” with community elders or knowledge keepers and a lawyer. This would essentially “register” their work with their nation to ultimately be able to license it and then be in a position to litigate against appropriation.

Jaymie Campbell of White Otter Design (Anishinaabe, Curve Lake First Nation), says cultural appropriation is “almost constant” in the industry, leading to exhaustion among creatives, a distrust of processes and a tendency to retreat.

“The problem is, in a colonial system, it is very difficult for people to acknowledge that there were, and remain, communities with entirely their own forms of governance, of laws, of societies and of beliefs. The same is true for families and nations that hold designs. The whole concept of how we transition information and knowledge within our communities is so foreign to a lot of people that it makes it really easy to invalidate it,” Campbell says.

She was taught beading by her mother, who learned from her mother and her aunts in Curve Lake, Ont.

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A decade ago she learned even more beadwork, plus horse hair wrapping and hide tanning from other Indigenous elders in Northern Alberta.

“I had to earn the right to carry those things and to practice,” Campbell says. “I couldn’t just ‘take’ it and do it because I was interested in it or liked the way it looked or felt.”

Campbell’s art has helped her find her voice and heal, she says, allowing her to reclaim what her ancestors had done (and lost), and understand her own identity and her own voice. “I think we have to work on finding ways of communicating how damaging entitlement is, and how it works to dehumanize Indigenous People and cultures, not just historically but contemporarily,” she says.

Thanks to Hamilton’s work, in 2019 the Alberta Law Foundation provided sponsorship for a legal panel on intellectual property. “This is a significant step,” Derbyshire says. There were two Indigenous lawyers as well as Louis and Jared Yazzie (Diné, Navajo Nation) from the design label OXDX on the panel.

Otahpiaaki designers 2019 CATHERINE BLACKBURN (ENGLISH RIVER FIRST NATION) — CATHERINE BLACKBURN JEWELLERY; TERRACE B.C. SARAH AND CHRYSTAL BUFFALO (MONTANA FIRST NATION) — SPARKLING BUFFALO; CALGARY, ALTA. JAYMIE CAMPBELL (ANISHINAALTA.E: CURVE LAKE FIRST NATION) — WHITE OTTER DESIGN, GRANDE CACHE, ALTA. TAMARA LEE-ANNE CARDINAL (SADDLE LAKE FIRST NATION) — TAMARA LEEANNE CARDINAL; CALGARY, ALTA. HEATHER CROWSHOE (BLACKFOOT: PIIKANI NATION) — HEATHER CROWSHOE COUTURE; CALGARY, ALTA. KARLI CROWSHOE (BLACKFOOT: PIIKANI NATION) — THE CHIEF’S DAUGHTER; CALGARY, ALTA. TOBI DAVIS EAGLE SPEAKER (BLACKFOOT: KAINAIWA AND PIIKANI NATIONS) — MAATSOWAKII “PRETTY WOMAN” CREATIONS; KAINAI FIRST NATION, ALTA. Designs by Jared Yazzie EVAN DUCHARME (MÉTIS, CREE, OJIBWE AND SAULTEAUX: ST. AMBROISE, MB) — EVAN DUCHARME™; VANCOUVER, B.C.) JUSTIN LOUIS (CREE: MASKWACIS SAMSON CREE NATION) — SECTION 35; VANCOUVER, B.C. DEREK JAGODZINSKY (CREE: WHITEFISH LAKE FIRST NATION) — LUXX READYTO-WEAR; EDMONTON, ALTA. CAROLA JONES (TOISNOT TUSCARORA) — FIBER ART BY CAROLA; WILSON, N.C. MARTHA KYAK (INUIT: POND INLET, NU) — INUKCHIC; OTTAWA, ONT. DUSTY LEGRANDE (CREE: WOODLAND CREE FIRST NATION) — MOBILIZE WASKAWÊWIN; EDMONTON, ALTA. LIVIA MANYWOUNDS (ATHAPASKAN/DENE: TSUUT’INA FIRST NATION) — DANCING STORM CREATIONS; TSUU T’INA, ALTA. CAROL MASON (BLACKFOOT: KAINAI NATION) — NORTHERN PLAINS DESIGN; CALGARY, ALTA. MELRENE SALOY-EAGLESPEAKER (BLACKFOOT: KAINAIWA NATION) — NATIVE DIVA CREATIONS; CALGARY, ALTA. FAYE THOMAS (CREE: PELICAN LAKE FIRST NATION) — RED SPIRIT WOMAN DESIGNS; SASKATOON, SASK. JARED YAZZIE (DINÉ: NAVAJO NATION) — OXDX CLOTHING, TEMPE, AZ, U.S.A.

Design by Justin Louis

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There are no stitches without thread Fourth-year policy studies student and Otahpiaaki co-founder Spirit River Striped Wolf has dedicated the last three years to in-depth research about why self-made prosperity seems to have been a major challenge in Indigenous communities. Designers have voiced their lack of entrepreneurial know-how as an obstacle.

From the Piikani Nation, Striped Wolf’s work has made a major impression already. He has penned two award-winning papers, was chosen to appear in the first instalment of The National’s “Face to Face,” and was one of nine Indigenous students from across Canada to be handpicked for the federal government’s Indigenize the Senate event in 2018. This year, he was elected as president of the Students’ Association of Mount Royal University.

Striped Wolf is revealing how modern Indigenous culture was deeply hurt through “faulty parental disciplinary styles passed down from the residential school system,” where discipline came in the form of shaming, which is counter-intuitive to Indigenous culture. That shaming has a range of consequences, such as the inability to create functional businesses.

“Entrepreneurship requires the ability to engage in successful relationships,” Striped Wolf says, explaining that the demolition of trust and connection in Indigenous communities, and the subsequent lack of confidence, has become a barrier to sustaining the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial cycle.

There are other obstacles, too, says Carol Mason of Northern Plains Design (Blackfoot, Kainai Nation).

Being an Indigenous creative is “very hard.”

“It’s a tremendous amount of work to put a line together. From the idea, to conceptualizing the final product, it’s a lot of work when you’re all by yourself and you have to do all the pattern drafting, the sewing, getting the materials ready … it’s a long haul.”

Small business loans are difficult to get, and it’s rare that owners receive the full amount of funding they actually need to succeed.

“I’ve found that I’ve had to change my business plans to fit the money rather than having the money fit the business,” Mason says. When orders begin to come in, designers don’t have the manpower and the resources to fill them. The demand is there, but the production capacity isn’t.

Grown at home Mason’s popular Hudson’s Bayinspired line of coats is in recognition of when Anthony Henday arrived in her nation’s area and “our world started changing,” she says. European influence saw Indigenous dress move away from using beaver and buffalo hides to the use of trade cloth. Mason notes the use of ochre in the stripes of the classic Hudson’s Bay blanket, a pigment sacred to the Blackfoot people. Suddenly it was more available, but from colonizers.

Along with needing confidence and capital is getting the right materials in the right way. This is something another Otahpiaaki co-founder, environmental science alumnus Braden Etzerza, who is of Tsimshian, Tahltan heritage and European descent, is trying to address. The

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Oxford Global Challenge competitor has been delving into the ancient art of fabric dying.

After being gifted a small bag of indigo seeds, Etzerza started them at the MRU greenhouse while a student, resulting in more than 200 indigo babies. The seedlings were then taken to the Columbia Valley, others to the Metlakatla Nation, while some stayed in Mohkinstsis (Calgary). Seven harvests from four locations each produced a different colour of blue and new seed crops. Etzerza’s work was shared at the On Sustainability Conference at the University of British Columbia last spring. Like a really great outfit, the Otahpiaaki concept is layered and complex, and is setting a trend for a more equitable future.

Designs by Livia Manywounds

(Top Left) Design by Carol Mason Photo by Kelly Hofer (Top Centre) Design by Dusty LeGrande (Bottom Centre and Right) Designs by Jared Yazzie

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4

four roads less travelled and paved by education WORDS BY RUTH MYLES PHOTOS BY CHAO ZHANG

Choosing to make your way into uncharted — and previously unconsidered — territory can be scary. It can also be exciting, invigorating and life changing.

That’s what the following four people did, with support from Mount Royal University. The once-common path of enrolling in post-secondary after high school, graduating, getting a job, starting a family and staying the course until retirement is fragmented. People are zigging instead of zagging, living lives that blend previously segmented stages.

“The lines between education, employment and retirement are blurring now and as we consider the future. Both education … and periods of not working … are punctuating the employment years,” ATB Financial’s Chief Economist Todd Hirsch wrote in The Owl, the economics and research team’s daily newsletter.

Hirsch received an Honorary Bachelor of Arts — Policy Studies from Mount Royal in 2017.

“Workers move more fluidly in and out of the workforce, either for education or for reasons related to joblessness, family or personal preference,” he says.

These four individuals have navigated their forks in the road with curiosity and courage, spontaneity and intent. Forging a new path isn’t easy, but it’s set them on a course for a new and different kind of success.

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1

weaving through traffic famida ahmad “You have to take opportunities as they come and try different things. Something that you think would not be right for you may end up being the thing that you really enjoy.”

Despite working her way into a management position after a decade in banking, Famida Ahmad wasn’t feeling it. So she did a 180-degree turn and enrolled in Mount Royal’s Bachelor of Computer Information Systems (BCIS) program.

Earlier in her career, after completing a Bachelor of Science, Ahmad sadly realized the field wasn’t for her. So, she got a job as a teller. The plan was never to make a career of it, but the years went by and she was still at the bank.

“I wasn’t satisfied,” Ahmad says. “I was looking for more opportunities, for change and for more of a challenge.”

She thought about what she enjoyed about her work: interacting with people, problem solving and technology. As the go-to person for computer issues at work, Ahmad had hands-on experience in all three areas. She researched careers and degrees that would work with her strengths and interests. She enrolled in the BCIS, graduating in 2017.

“The program had both the management and the technology sides,” she says. “I wanted to continue working with people in addition to problem solving and using technology in the business world.”

She worked and attended school full-time for the first three years of the program, fitting some classes into extended lunch breaks at

the bank and working nights and weekends. The double load was tough, but Ahmad also thrived on her new path.

“The profs were great, the work was great. I was enjoying it so much that I would work for that extra grade. It came so much more naturally this time because I was interested in what I was learning.”

Another turning point came when Ahmad had to quit her position at the bank to take part in her program’s work co-op.

“My husband wasn’t working. The economy was horrible. We had a house and I couldn’t afford to not work,” she remembers. “I was considering taking a year off and putting my degree on hold. But I took a leap of faith and accepted the position at the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO).”

The gamble paid off. After Ahmad completed her four-month work term, AESO — which manages and operates the provincial power grid — offered her a position covering a leave. And it was flexible enough that she could work while completing her final year of university. When the year-long leave was over, a position came up as a compliance officer in the IT department. Ahmad got the job.

“Things are so good,” says Ahmad, now 38. “I’m in a career that I’m loving. And there are so many opportunities, there is so much I can do with my education.”

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one step back, two steps forward nana asante

“I am always trying to be mindful of my mental state. If I see patterns or an action that reproduces unhealthy states, I say, ‘OK, maybe I should take a step back.’ ”

Good things come to those who wait … and to those who know when it’s time to change things up. In 2013, Nana Asante was a first-year student focusing on business and economics. This spring, he’ll be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts — English (Honours) and has applied to law and grad schools.

Asante posted an “A” average in his first year at Mount Royal. But then the Calgary native lost motivation, withdrawing halfway through his second year. For the next year-and-a-half, Asante read and wrote as much as he could in addition to working.

“Giving myself that time has allowed me to focus and achieve as well as I have,” Asante says. “Through doing my general education courses, I found that English and political science were my strong suits and interested me the most.”

Newly engaged with his studies, Asante dove back into his academic work. Since returning to Mount Royal, he’s presented at three conferences and had papers accepted for two others. He also expanded his horizons through his honours program in Indigenous literature.

Career-wise, law is Asante’s first choice. His goal is to practice international and human rights law with a global organization such as the United Nations, saying he sees it

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as a practical way to effect the kind of change he would like to see in the world.

His second choice is a post-graduate degree in political science, which was his minor at Mount Royal. If he goes that route, Asante could see a future as a government policy analyst.

Now in his late 20s, Asante knows the decision to take time off from university was the right one for him. He returned as a student who was invested and engaged in his new course of studies. Asante formed relationships with his professors, something he didn’t prioritize the first time around.

“That has helped me enormously. I did English honours, so I had to do a thesis with a supervisor. I established a really good relationship with them and with others, which helped me get a job at the research office,” Asante says. “Those relationships have benefited my education as a whole. Any questions, anything I need, I can consult my professors.

They have helped me stay strong mentally, as well.”

Asante applies his critical thinking skills in his personal life as well as in his academic work.

“I see a few ways to tackle something, rather than saying, ‘I have to stay on this track. This is the way it is.’

That’s where change starts.”

measured steps

sheila connell

A “perfect storm” of circumstances led Sheila Connell to walk away from a 30-year career as a paralegal and take an alternative path that led to her becoming a business owner.

The Calgarian changed law firms in 2009, moving from a small office that felt like family into the role of office manager in a corporate firm. Connell enjoyed building on her skill set, but it just wasn’t the same.

“I lost that customer connection, which is really huge for me. I wanted to move forward and not look back. I thought, ‘Life is too short for this,’ ” Connell says. “I have four children and you make concessions when they’re younger. When they’re older and all gone, you can think, ‘I am going to do what I want to do.’ ” So she did. Connell pursued an interest in interior decorating at Mount

“Follow your dream, but be prepared.”

Royal University’s Faculty of Continuing Education. She paired that program with an Entrepreneurship Certificate with the goal of launching her own retail business.

Connell opened Shades of Sleep & Accessories Inc. in 2010. The Inglewood store has evolved along with its owner: growing from a focus on custom bedding to showcasing luxurious goods related to a good night’s sleep.

Changing paths wasn’t easy, though.

While Connell had the benefit of a spouse who could support the household while she made the transition, she invested time, effort and money into investigating her career switch. Skills such as bookkeeping, human resources and marketing are tools, she says, so she set about stocking a kit tailored to her new career.

“Find out about the work that you will be doing. There is no point switching careers if you don’t like the new one.

That’s where the courses at Mount Royal came in,” she says. “You need to do your homework. If I am going to make a career change, what is it going to look like? And try to find a mentor in the field you’re going to be in.”

Part of Connell’s “perfect storm” that sparked her professional shift was making a new friend who was a business owner in Inglewood, a location Connell was interested in for her new venture. It was natural for them to talk shop.

While Connell is all for following your dream, her mantra is to always be prepared. If you’re contemplating opening a small business of your own, that preparation needs to include extra capital to carry you through the start-up and initial opening phase, she advises.

Most people who start their own businesses are between the ages of 20 and 40, she points out. She was in her 50s when she decided to strike out down the path to entrepreneurship.

“But I just knew that I didn’t want it to be 20 years down the road and saying, ‘I wish I had.’ ”

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4

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gathering speed along the way

james bergeron “You have to have the confidence that making a choice doesn’t commit you forever. It just commits you to a period of time until you see a different fork and go a different route. I do that a lot.”

James Bergeron retired in 2010 as vicepresident of Lafarge for Western Canada.

He was 52. Instead of embarking on a life of leisure, however, Bergeron enrolled in the Grade 10 math course in Academic Upgrading at Mount Royal.

To better understand that deviation from the expected course of retirement, rewind to 2008. Bergeron was helping his daughter with her Grade 10 math. Rather, he was trying to help her.

“I had no earthly idea what she was doing. I couldn’t help her in any way, shape or form. I decided that when I retired, I’d come back and go to school and learn about math,” Bergeron recalls.

So he did. Bergeron has now taken almost all the math courses that Mount Royal offers, as well as every computer science course. He even took one math course with his daughter, who had graduated from McGill University by that point. (She needed another course to strengthen her skills going into a master’s degree.)

From his home in Eastern Canada, Bergeron started in strategic planning at LaFarge Canada. Over the course of his career, many paths presented themselves, including one he initially balked at. The president asked Bergeron if he’d be interested in being the first

director of distribution within Lafarge’s North America operations.

Bergeron said he had no interest in “trucks or trains or ships. I don’t know how any of them work and I don’t care.” But the president pushed. “You’ve got a good mind for puzzles and we need someone to help us figure out how to do this better.”

Seeing how he loves coming up with solutions, Bergeron changed his mind.

That fork in the road brought Bergeron and his family to Calgary.

The path he’s currently on has led Bergeron — who holds an MBA — to expand his studies into chemistry, physics and biology (which he squirms even thinking about). He draws on that breadth of learning in his volunteer work at Mount Royal, tutoring students at the Riddell Library and Learning Centre and the Iniskim Centre. He also created the Evelyn Fraser Delaney Math Help Award for students who have completed a second-level math course and who have committed to helping another student with the subject.

“I really enjoy sitting with someone, listening to what they’re trying to do and trying to help them figure it out,” he says.

What keeps Bergeron at Mount Royal?

Tutoring, which he has been doing for seven years.

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The

resilience of an arts degree WORDS BY SILVIA PIKAL

Studying the human condition is more important than ever Being overspecialized can be a major detriment these days for people looking to grow in their careers, says John Lacey, PhD, who received an honorary Bachelor of Arts — Policy Studies in 2018. In his address to Faculty of Arts graduates, Lacey, who worked in energy exploration, production, transportation and marketing around the world, said, “My personal view is that the world today actually needs generalists rather than specialists. People who not only know the field they graduated in, but have developed a knowledge of associated activities so they can assist and advise on the entire scope of projects.”

Lacey’s comment was welcomed in a room full of graduates who likely fielded the “What are you going to do with your degree?” question at least a few times. But, in fact, experts are saying that liberal arts degrees provide a much-needed educational foundation that is increasingly important in all fields.

It’s often said that society cannot move forward if the past is not fully understood, and it’s arts grads who are trained in and are able to apply this type of knowledge.

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Inserting morality into the future Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom predicts that scientists may awaken the full power of artificial intelligence (AI) in this century. In a 2015 TED Talk, Bostrom suggested that society will eventually reach a point where machine intelligence is the last invention of humanity. Once machines can design themselves, an intelligence explosion will surpass human genius.

The machines will never stop learning.

James Stauch, director of the Institute for Community Prosperity at MRU, says there is a steady advance towards the future Bostrom describes. And it’s concerning because it could mean a total loss of control.

“We’re already at the point where there’s machine learning — meaning machines are teaching themselves without the assistance of additional programming,” Stauch says. One example is AlphaGo Zero, a Google-developed supercomputer that uses its experience to keep improving at playing the board game Go. This will have profound implications.

To prevent AI from behaving like the cyborgs in The Terminator, Bostrom says machines must be designed to share our values of right and wrong. There will be

different stages of AI learning, so there is time for humans to influence how AI sees and responds to the world.

“The question becomes, what conditions are we putting on raising this early generation of AI?” Stauch says.

“So that when it’s an adult, it’s not a psychopath and it won’t turn on us. It won’t be out of our control. And if it is out of our control, at least it’s been taught the right manners.

Just as a parent teaches a child what’s right or wrong, humans must also be diligent in developing ethical behaviour in machines. “I think arts absolutely has a future. Its future is golden if anything,” Stauch says. In a paper titled, “In Search of the Altruithm: AI and the Future of Social Good,” Stauch and co-authors Alina Turner, PhD, and Camilo Camacho Escamilla argue, “AI can be made to be generative, beautiful and not merely ethical, but rationally compassionate and just, enriching our lives beyond what we can currently imagine.”

Social issues that could be (finally) successfully addressed include homelessness, diseases and even war and violence, the authors argue.

The problem solvers Liberal arts majors are perfectly positioned to tackle the most complex and pressing issues of our time, says Nancy Ogden, PhD and chair of the Department of Psychology at Mount Royal.

“Our world is changing so rapidly that there’s an advantage to an arts degree.

Our arts students are exposed to a variety of views and they learn to think critically about those views. In this increasingly divisive, rigid time, I think that’s a particularly useful skill.”

There are, in fact, no “arts-less” programs at MRU. All baccalaureates require that up to 25 per cent of course loads consist of general education classes, which are based around four thematic clusters: communication; community and society; values, belief and identity; and numeracy and scientific literacy.

General education courses ensure students receive a deeper education and are able to assess and communicate their knowledge of the world around them.

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Humanity may be winning While there have been changes in recent decades requiring an increased demand for computer skills, the jobs that are least likely to be automated involve liberal arts skills, says Jennifer Pettit, PhD, dean of the Faculty of Arts.

According to a 2016 report from the McKinsey Global Institute, the hardest activities to automate with the technologies available today are those involving managing and developing people (nine per cent automation potential); where expertise is applied to decision-making, planning or creative work (18 per cent); and interacting with customers, suppliers and other stakeholders (20 per cent).

“It is no longer realistic to think that students obtain everything they need for success from a narrow, traditional degree,” Pettit says. “Rather, employers are eager for their workers to learn what are sometimes deemed ‘soft skills.’ ” The Washington Post reported in 2017 that the top characteristics of success at Google are communication,

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empathy, critical thinking, problem solving and creativity, all of which Pettit says are developed and nurtured through the Faculty of Arts.

Arts and humanities courses are where discussions of values and responsibility generally happen, and from that a society’s moral foundation is established. For example, laws are not created and punishment not decided upon without vigorous debate.

Duane Bratt, PhD, chair of the Department of Economics, Justice and Policy Studies, says, “Criminal justice has existed since the beginning of time. Our grads study what causes crime? How to prevent crime? How to deal with criminals?”

As long as there are humans on the planet, Bratt says, crime will exist, but it can be curtailed through the study of criminality and dealt with through the study of justice.

Sociology on a global scale

Standing out in the workforce Michelle Cook is a career and education counsellor at MRU who works closely with Bachelor of Arts (BA) students to support them in their career planning. She says, “BA students are well-rounded and adaptable — traits that prepare them for many types of careers.”

Some of the skills BA grads possess that today’s employers want include global and intercultural fluency, and teamwork and collaboration. They are also able to spot patterns and relationships among diverse groups, providing them with a competitive edge and balance in the workplace.

“Arts degrees instil curiosity, literacy and empathy in grads — skills that are difficult to quantify or measure, but ones that are critical to helping organizations solve problems and to long-term career success,” Cook says.

BA graduates are adaptable and responsive, respectfully exploring topics and critically assessing and analyzing information, all while building their knowledge of cultural and global perspectives.

“Our rapidly changing and advancing world means that employers want employees who can quickly navigate those changes and keep up with them.”

Melanie Putic graduated with a Bachelor of Arts — Sociology in 2014 from MRU, moving on to obtain a Master of Arts from the University for Peace in environment, sustainable development and peace. Her career has taken her from the United Nations in New York to the InterAmerican Development Bank in Washington, D.C. She says her undergraduate degree from Mount Royal set her up for success by impacting her worldview toward a much more in-depth, wide-ranging and multidimensional way of thinking. Her understanding of societal issues today, she says, “is well-founded, wellinformed and oriented towards solutions with real potential.”

Vivek Wadhwa is a tech entrepreneur who argues liberal arts and the humanities are as important as engineering in a column published in The Washington Post. His reasoning that, “Tackling today’s biggest social and technological challenges requires the ability to think critically about their human context,” resonates with Putic.

“A critical thinking and human context approach is vital for sustainable solutions.

This was a key theme throughout my degree.

Ideas and initiatives can only become sustainable solutions if they have been put through a complete thinking process that considers possible outcomes, potential problems and impacts on people and the environment. It is these kinds of solutions that we need in the world today,” Putic says.

As the world becomes more and more interconnected and automated, Putic says she is able to sort through the ever-growing amount of information available and properly put into perspective new problems that arise.

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Mount Royal’s arts departments:

Why they matter The Faculty of Arts grants eight degrees, the most out of all five faculties, plus has more than 20 minors. Students can graduate with a bachelor’s in anthropology, criminal justice, English, history, policy studies, psychology and sociology. We asked department chairs why the world needs their graduates.

Here are their perspectives.

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Duane Bratt, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Economics, Justice and Policy Studies

Tom Buchanan, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology

“We often think of public policy, but within all organizations — public, private and non-profit — there are an array of policies — hiring policies, human rights policies, various types of internal processes and regulations. Our grads are skilled at dissecting, developing and disseminating this type of information.

“The criminal justice program dives into the criminal justice system, crisis and conflict resolution, human rights and the social science of criminology. All of this makes students highly employable in fields such as social justice, criminology, law, police services and more.”

“Our students possess an understanding of inequality and intercultural sensitivities, and are well-prepared and motivated to work in cross-cultural, international settings. The analytical and critical perspectives of anthropology and sociology graduates will increasingly contribute to the betterment of organizations, governments and societies for years to come.”

Mark Gardiner, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Humanities “We desperately need those who can ask and answer probing questions about the causes, directions, and consequences of change — who can ask, for example, whether an increasingly automated society is, in fact, one that we want.

Who benefits? Who is left behind? What social systems do we need to put in place to protect or accelerate the good and to mitigate the harm? These types of self-reflective critical questions, deeply intertwined with the sort of concepts that are difficult to place in the sciences, like the good and the just, are precisely what the history major and humanities are designed to ask and answer.”

David Hyttenrauch, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of English, Languages and Cultures “English graduates carry with them a range of skills: analysis, critique and communication. They are well-versed in a range of communication styles, and thoughtful about the ways particular communications approaches influence others. Skilled communicators are always in demand, and they make skilled leaders and practitioners in any field. These skills are employable ones, true, but they’re also essential qualities of engaged citizens, and our graduates will be members of many communities — social, economic and personal — over their lives.”

Jennifer Pettit, PhD, professor and dean of the Faculty of Arts “The liberal arts are key to solving what some are now calling the ‘wicked problems’ of our time, ones that have no clear answer and that have numerous, interdisciplinary causes. At MRU, this means more exposure to a wider variety of disciplines through programs such as general education, in which liberal arts disciplines are core. Given how rapidly society is changing, a strong case can be made for breadth over specificity.”

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Arts employability

stats

Mount Royal University’s work-ready arts graduates quickly enter their career fields, as these numbers from the Government of Alberta’s 2018 Graduate Outcomes Survey suggest. Bachelor’s degrees continue to be valuable for all alumni, as well. Statistics Canada’s 2018 National Graduates Survey (class of 2015) reports that 90 per cent of Alberta’s graduates were employed three years after completing their studies.

Data from the Government of Alberta’s

2018 Graduate Outcomes Survey

83%

of art grads were employed within two years after graduation1

of those employed...2

88% 89% 1 Based on those in the labour force, for example, excludes those enrolled as a full-time student and those who said they were not employed and not looking for work.

2 Percentages are based on those who said they were employed. Follow-up questions about employment asked graduates in reference to their main job — the job in which they worked the most hours if they had more than one.

Prepared by: Institutional Analysis and Planning of Mount Royal University

work full time (30 hours or more per week)

hold jobs related to the general skills and abilities acquired at their institution

A LU M N I

D O N O R

17 years of

monthly gifts

Completing the cycle of impact WORDS BY HOODA SADDEN PHOTO BY LEONORA ANDRÉ

Setting up a monthly donation and impacting the lives of students is easy.

Visit mru.ca/HelpStudents.

Karie Burchill sums up her memories of Mount Royal succinctly.

“Every day was an opportunity to learn something new from someone new. My Mount Royal education is the foundation for everything I do now.”

After graduating in 2000 with a Child and Youth Care Worker Diploma, Burchill went on to the difficult, but rewarding job of a child and youth care counsellor at a youth centre in Edmonton.

She was able to immerse herself in her studies as, like many students, she relied on the support of Student Awards and Financial Aid to help ease the burden of the cost of her education. Burchill received the Brother Christopher / Glorieux Scholarship, which benefits students who demonstrate academic proficiency, have a high degree of involvement in campus life and perform community service.

Two years after graduation Burchill decided to give back to the place that influenced her life so tremendously through a monthly gift. “It’s a small impact on my account each month, but adds up to make a larger donation.”

It’s now been 17 years and 168 monthly gifts totalling more than $5,000 to the scholarship she herself received.

“Without financial support, there is very little possibility of students’ education and dreams coming to fruition. They can have all the spirit, intelligence and drive to make it happen, but without that financial support it’s not always possible.

“Giving back is forever a win-win situation. A cycle where donors help students achieve their education, and then students go on to impact society.”

MRU.CA /SUMMIT

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Alumni Q + A ONYEKACHI NWOKE Bachelor of Arts — Sociology (Honours), 2014

INTERVIEW BY JULIE MACDONALD

In his 31 years, Onyekachi Nwoke has lived on three continents and in four different countries. At 15, he moved from Nigeria to the U.K., before landing in Calgary two years later. After finishing his degree at MRU, he completed his master’s in international development studies at York University.

Following his graduate work, Nwoke returned to Calgary and works as a senior youth counsellor with The Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth, an organization that provides a welcoming environment for immigrant and refugee youth and their families.

“As a newcomer to Canada, it can be difficult to navigate the maze of high school and post-secondary,” Nwoke says. “I am especially passionate about helping youth from the African continent make the most of the educational opportunities available.”

Nwoke also lends his experience to Mount Royal, volunteering as a mentor with the Harry G. Schaefer Mentorship Program and being a member of the Alumni Council and the Alumni Weekend Task Force.

Why did you choose MRU to pursue your post-secondary studies?

I chose Mount Royal University because of the smaller class sizes, its focus on experiential learning and the fact that professors care about the success of their students.

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What was your favourite experience?

Going to the Sociology Field School in New Orleans in 2013 with 11 other classmates. We volunteered with Habitat for Humanity to rebuild a house in the Lower Ninth Ward neighbourhood, which was destroyed

by Hurricane Katrina.

Through the field school, which focused on disaster recovery, I also got to be part of a survey implementation research team that collaborated with staff from StayLocal.

It’s an NGO (non-governmental organization) with the goal of fostering New Orleans’ independent business alliances, encouraging the local populace to shop locally while helping businesses compete in the city’s business landscape.

More than anything, the experience helped me form friendships and exposed me to experiential learning beyond the walls of the classroom.

Why did you choose to become involved with MRU’s Alumni Council?

It was another way for me to give to a school that gave me so much in terms of education, community service learning and volunteer experience, all of which expedited my post-graduation employment opportunities. The aspect of the role I enjoy most is celebrating the career successes of MRU alumni in Calgary and across the country.

If you had one piece of advice for alumni, what would it be?

Get involved! You can volunteer your time through the many opportunities the University offers and keep in touch with former professors, teachers and classmates.

Join Nwoke at Alumni Weekend from Sept. 24 to 26. Learn more at mru.ca/AlumniWeekend.

Mount Royal University alumni, feel confident with preferred rates from TD Insurance.

You could save with rates on car, home, condo and tenant’s insurance.

Get a quote and see how much you could save!

Go to tdinsurance.com/mtroyalalumni Or call 1-888-589-5656

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