FALL FALL 2015 |1
CONTENTS Newsmakers
4
Journal Club
6
Mentorship
10
Alumni Spotlight
14
Scholar Spotlight
18
Service Project
22
Annual Retreat
24
Speaker Series
34
Meet a Scholar
36 FALL | 2
In April 2015 we welcomed nineteen students into the Scholars Academy. This fifth cohort has scholars studying a range of subjects, from psychology to neuroscience to commerce.
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NEWSMAKERS
AWARD WINNERS
JONAH ZANKL & MARK LEE MAYESHA TASHNIL Universitat de Barcelona: Solar Car team races fourth generation car at Formula Sun Grand Prix UToday - August 28, 2015
LINDSAY DELMAR
Justicia Económica Y Acción Politíca
Jornadas De Filosofía Politíca UB—October 7
CHRIS BELL
Simon Fraser University: Campus to City: Colleges, Markin Program takes undergrads on adventures Universities & City in Tanzania Building” UToday— September 17
MAYESHA TASHNIL MIT Climate CoLab announces 32 winning climate strategies
Youth Engagement Necessary to Achieve Sustainable Urban Development Huffington Post - November 2
KEITH LETENDRE
‘This place is alive, it’s buzzing, it’s exciting’
GOVERNOR GENERAL’S AWARD IN COMMEMORATION OF THE PERSONS CASE: Kimberly Bowal
SFU - October 9
MIT News - September 25
ANDREW SCHNELL
ACADEMIC ALL-CANADIAN: Mark Lee, Adriana Holcek
Schulich grad’s university career parallels running with the bulls UToday - November 12
KYOTO AWARD: Amy Li
TRAVEL AWARDS: Mark Lee, Peter Liu, Erika Friebe
NSERC USRA: Ainna Randhawa
UToday - October 1
JONAH ZANKL
AMY ZELL
School helps next Chatting with Jonah Zankl generation of engineering of University of Calgary leaders flourish During FSGP (Formula UToday - November 16 Sun Grand Prix) Sunisthefuture - October 3
Did we miss something? Let us know by emailing: sap@ucalgary.ca FALL | 4
JUNIOR STUDENT LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD: Mayesha Tashnil
LUIS WELBANKS, ADRIANA HOLCEK, MARK LEE FALL | 5
Have you heard about
JOURNAL CLUB? A forum for student research
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M
ark Lee introduced himself, and then there was a pause. He plays a video on the screen— a small child is hit by a car. Onlookers walk past with no reaction. The room stayed silent. This wasn’t what they would expect from an average presentation. But this isn’t an average presentation. This is a Scholars Academy Journal Club. The idea behind the Journal Club was to provide a venue for scholars to present their research to their peers. In the past, the workshops have covered topics ranging from research on penguins in Antarctica to designing rockets in Norway. Whatever the subject, it’s a tough job: condensing months of intensive research and experiences into a 30 minute presentation that will appeal to the diverse crowd of students - from engineers to economists. Mark Lee, a scholar pursuing a joint degree in philosophy and finance, used the Journal Club as an opportunity to test drive his presentation before he delivered it at the Political Philosophy Conference in Barcelona, Spain. He opened his presentation, “What we ought to do about extreme poverty: shifting matters from morality to policy” with the shocking video of a child hit by a car, as an ethical thought experiment. As Mark probed the audience on their reactions and their theoretical response to a similar situation, he pushed them to consider the differences between the death of that single child, and the deaths of thousands of children due to extreme poverty. Raising the question “can we save some of those 22, 000 children dying every day?” he outlined how our society has responded through the act of charitable giving. From a public policy perspective, the models for giving, lay on a spectrum from state mandated to private giving. Mark, however, proposed a third school of thought: libertarian moralism. This perspective rests in the school whereby citizens must opt-out of charitable giving. As Mark responded to questions from his peers and defended his position on the topic, it is evident why the Journal Club is such a f a n t a s t i c
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opportunity for students to prepare for conferences. The constructive feedback from their peers and the chance to time how long the presentation takes in front of a real audience is invaluable for undergraduate students—especially those intending to continue their studies at a graduate or professional level. Not all presentations require the viewer to weigh ethical dilemmas. The Journal Club topics are as diverse as the students in the program. For Jonah Zankl, the prospect to present was an opportunity to share what he learned during his summer internship at ATB Financial. Jonah has attended nearly all Journal Club topics and he opted to present on an item we are regularly exposed to, yet often don’t think much about: “in a digital world, we don’t often give thought into the experience we have.” Delving into the methodologies used by digital designers across the globe, Jonah explained how positive customer experiences are facilitated by online applications and websites Likewise, listening to the student presentations is not only informative but inspiring. After Jonah’s presentation, several students from differing faculties proposed a panel discussion on the newly released United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In the words of Haley Brett, a scholar in international relations who pitched the idea, “the sustainable development goals are especially important for Scholars to understand, given that many will become leaders in their respective fields.” With experience in different areas, several scholars are organizing their thoughts to provide a meaningful discussion about the subject. The Journal Club has evolved considerably since its inception, and continues to surprise, engage, and challenge what we think we know about a topic. Regardless of the topic, we can guarantee that every presentation will leave the audience informed and optimistic about what the next generation can achieve.
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Meet us at the next one! LIZA HARTLING
Dancing for Health NOVEMBER 20, 11AM
CONNOR SCHEU Iceland: It’s Energy, Geophysical Attributes & Geopolitical Interests DECEMBER 2, 12PM
LEAH SCHMIDT
Gendercide: The Militarization of Sexual Assault in Bosnia JANUARY 15, 12PM
GEORGE WANG Learning from Cambridge: Lessons from One of the Top Universities JANUARY 26, 10AM
All presentations are in the First Year Scholars & Scholars Academy Lounge (MB 202) FALL | 9
A
n early October breakfast at the Downtown Campus may seem an unlikely place to find students whose crammed schedules leave them relishing every minute of sleep. For our community mentors—distinguished Calgarians and leaders in their fields—it’s a refreshing change of pace. This October morning provided the perfect opportunity for scholars and mentors to mingle. It was attended by over thirty people, including mentor and Advisory Council member, Chris Fong, who also graciously sponsored the event. The Scholars Academy Mentorship Program is a highlight for our students and one of the biggest draws to the program. Unlike existing mentorship FALL | 10
programs on campus, the aim is not to match students based on career goals or academic background, but rather on points of interest. Students get the most out of the program when they are partnered with someone outside of their scope. Connor Scheu, who is graduating this December with a degree in civil engineering and a specialization in energy and the environment, was paired with Wilfred Gobert, a former oil and gas analyst. “While our disciplines may be similar, our interests and the areas where we choose to apply these skills are very different. It has been excellent to challenge each other’s assumptions, and to see the world through the lens of the other while sharing leadership and entrepreneurial insights.” The mentors in the program have as diverse backgrounds as the students. From lawyers to fighter pilots, CEOs to court judges, each one brings a unique perspective to share with the student they are paired with. Lindsay Delmar, a health sciences student who was paired with Pam Holberton, manager of the Emergency Department at Foothills Medical Centre, remarks that the mentorship she received was her greatest takeaway from the Scholars Academy program. Being paired with someone “who she has been able to relate with very well” has been “so beneficial to her personal and professional growth”. FALL | 11
Connor doesn’t hesitate to tell people how much the mentorship program has impacted his time in university: “I have grown through the relationship with my mentor. It has been a unique honour to have at my disposal one of the most prominent leaders in our city. Someone with a career’s worth of experience and wisdom, as well as the patience and generosity to share it with a young and enthusiastic person like myself.” While it’s certainly evident that the scholars receive a great deal from their mentors, mentorship is not a one-way street. Like any professional relationship, the scholars are expected to bring something to the table as well. For Adriana Holcek, a fourth year student in chemical engineering paired with Terry Allen, president of Pivotal Capital Advisory Group, this meant always being prepared and outlining specific questions to go over during meetings. With the onus on the students to prepare objectives and determine what they want to get out of the experience, being prepared goes a long way. FALL | 12
In addition to the community mentorship program, the Scholars Academy students are also matched with two or more First Year Scholars mentees The First Year Scholars are students entering the university who have been selected based on their exceptional incoming high school marks. They can learn a lot from students in the Scholars Academy, such as research and scholarship opportunities, balancing academics and extra-curriculars, and navigating their chosen degree streams. Both Connor and Lindsay are explicit when sharing how the community mentorship program has benefited their own mentees. Connor notes that “the most prominent takeaway for me has been a path to transfer my academic success into industry promise. I am now a more realistic and grounded person, who is prepared to share my talents within my industry and beyond. But what is most, I have been empowered to pass along these benefits to the next generation.�
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
BLYTHE SOLA FINDS HER FIT —AND SOME FURRY FRIENDS— IN VETERINARY SCHOOL FALL | 14
P
erhaps because she grew up reading James Herriot, Blythe Sola has almost always been interested in living the country life: lambing out in idyllic pastures, and scrubbing up in a drafty barn
at 3:00 AM under the light of a single lantern with a bucket of icy water and a bar of rock hard soap. When she discovered that there was indeed a profession that could match her passions, values, and skills, the idea of pursuing a degree in Veterinary Medicine took shape. She says, “I tested the field of Vet Med by volunteering at my local clinic and really loved the experience, especially the surgeries I got to sit in on.” Around the time Blythe’s goal to pursue the profession was being solidified, the University of Calgary Veterinary School opened its doors. This provided the perfect opportunity — and Blythe applied to the Veterinary Medicine program in 2013, having completed only two years of her four-year Biological Sciences degree. She chose the University of Calgary for its state-of-the art facilities, small class sizes, and impressive faculty. As a Calgarian, her choice also meant that she could stay
close to home and enjoy the support of her network of friends and family. Now in her third year, Blythe finds the diverse nature of the profession challenging yet exciting. She has been exposed to projects varying in scope and focus, from researchers using a 3D printer to print out new prosthetic feet for a rooster to professors in wildlife medicine looking at ways to use drones to fly over herds of wild ungulates in order to reduce the stress caused by chasing animals.
Blythe finds it remarkable that
Veterinary Medicine has expanded public outreach initiatives, looking at emerging diseases that could affect Canadian livestock. She notes, “It’s scary stuff, but also very relevant and very interesting – looking at things like Schmallenberg virus, a previously unknown but extremely contagious virus that we suddenly saw an outbreak of in Europe in 2011, and trying to model whether or not it will cross over to North America like West Nile did, and if so how we can be prepared.” Blythe reports that researchers are currently doing surgeries on goldfish, using guinea pigs as models for FALL | 15
human pregnancy studies on pregnancy toxemia, and innovating to
improve animal welfare in order to make our food animal production systems more efficient and sustainable.
The field is certainly more
comprehensive than the tranquil scenes narrated by her favorite twentieth-century author. Blythe was a member of the Scholars Academy for one year before being designated an alumna. She views the Academy as an avenue where she encountered an intersection of unique perspectives.
As
many of her colleagues have also found, the highlight for her was connecting with people of diverse backgrounds whom otherwise she never would have met. Blythe recalls her experience working on her community service project: “You look around the room and you see all these people who are so amazing, and you have to wonder, ‘why the heck am I here…?’ And you question your merits— but then the ball gets rolling on a team brainstorming session about your charity project, and suddenly you
realize that you are [not only] impressed by all the ideas going around that you wouldn’t have thought of, but also impressed that you are also bringing things to the table that maybe someone else in the room never would’ve thought of. And that’s the whole point. We all have something to contribute, and while it can be challenging to organize such a varied group with such disparate backgrounds, that also makes for stronger, more comprehensive initiatives that cover all angles going forward.” The Scholars Academy creates an environment where students can collaborate on different topics while also thinking creatively. Or, as Blythe explains, “It was an opportunity for me to enrich my experience at the University of Calgary and meet people who were very like me in their level of drive and enthusiasm for their studies, but who were also very different from me —different faculties, different interests, different extracurricular, different cultures. It was a great exercise in
perspective, and also just generally a good time.” FALL | 16
Photos courtesy of Blythe Sola FALL | 17
SCHOLAR SPOTLIGHT
Up, Up & Away LINDSAY DELMAR TAKES HER PASSION FOR HEALTH PROMOTION AROUND THE WORLD FALL | 18
A
fter emigrating from South Africa to live and study in Canada, Lindsay Delmar developed a fresh perspective on freedom and equality. Every trip back to visit family or to volunteer in the townships renewed her
sense of privilege. Lindsay’s decision to enter the Bachelor of Health Sciences program, which she completes this December, was fueled by her interest in health as an area in society where there can be an effective intervention. As well, her curiosity about the reasons people act in certain ways motivated her to pursue a minor in psychology.
A passion for health advocacy and promotion is a constant in Lindsay’s life. She recently returned from a summer project at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in rural Tanzania with a team of students and faculty members from the Cumming School of Medicine. As a recipient of the Markin Undergraduate Student Research Program (USRP), she worked with her faculty mentor, Dr. Jennifer Hatfield, who is also a Scholars Academy mentor, to engage local Maasai people in health promotion. Specifically, the focus of the work was on
Project SHINE (Sanitation and Hygiene Innovation in Education). Her role with Project SHINE was to design and create a knowledge-translation tool to share with the students and the community.
Lindsay also assisted an expert
filmmaker in creating digital stories of the students’ experiences with the Project SHINE team.
The result was a series of mini-documentaries that
students can access as they become agents of change in their communities. As Lindsay remarks, “It was an awesome experience and I highly recommend field opportunities as a way to practically consolidate the knowledge that we
have gained throughout our undergraduate studies.” FALL | 19
While academic achievement and volunteering have played a huge role in Lindsay’s undergraduate experience, other endeavors have also shaped her past four years in Calgary. She was a member of the University of Calgary Dinos Swimming Team. During
her
captain,
time
as
led
her
she
teammates
to
third
place at the Canadian Interuniversity (CIS)
Sport
Championships.
Moreover, represented during
she Canada
the
University
World
Games
in
Kazan, Russia, where she won a bronze medal. For
Lindsay,
the
highlight of the Scholars Academy
experience
was connecting with the other
students.
She
says, “We are all in the same
boat
and
have
been able to support each other through the highs
and
lows
of
undergraduate student life.” She also appreciates having had the chance to contribute her public health skills to a meaningful, real-world setting through her involvement with her cohort’s service project, where students developed a
new program for Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids (BB4CK). FALL | 20
Lindsay
comments, “I’ve made some great friends and have very much enjoyed engaging with everyone on a personal and professional level.” Though Lindsay is excited to be completing the final touches on her manuscript, investigating a tuberculosis diagnostic process for refugees new to Calgary, she is also looking forward to a break. Following her presentation of this research at the World Union Conference for Lung Health in Cape Town this December, she will finally have the time to travel and to visit her family in South Africa before she begins working full time at an engineering consultancy firm downtown. Ever up for a challenge, she remarks that “it’s definitely outside my field of interest, but I think it’s a useful opportunity to work in a team in a new context and learn new skills.”
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C O H O RT F E AT U R E
KENSINGTON BUSINESS REVITALIZATION ZONE (BRZ) While Cohort 4 and Cohort 5 are just beginning to work on their new service projects, the Third Cohort have nearly completed their year and a half project with the Kensington BRZ. After collecting 80 surveys, engaging over 150 business owners, and analyzing hundreds of data points, they have created a final report for the Board of Directors BRZ. On October 13, Christopher Bell, the project lead, presented their findings to the Board of Directors. Christopher dissected their conclusions and outlined a number of recommendations all to increase business engagement and improve the BRZ’s visibility.
30 q u e s t i o n s d eve l o p e d c o m p l e t e d s u r vey s 80 150+ b u s i n e s s o w n e r s s u r ve ye d FALL | 22
CHRIS BELL FALL | 23
PROJECT LEAD
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10 things we love about the
A NNUAL RETREAT
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1. The picturesque Banff Centre boasts breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains and provided the perfect backdrop to our Scholars Academy retreat focusing on personal development, organizational leadership, and professional improvement.
2. Scholars stayed overnight in Lloyd Hall and spent their evenings getting to know the new cohort and rekindling friendships with existing members. Getting away from their responsibilities back home gave students the
opportunity to focus completely on the experience.
3. The Kinnear Centre for Creativity and Innovation played host to all the workshops and activities. In addition to learning about conflict resolution in the workplace, we also hosted Dr. Piers Steel who spoke about The
Procrastination Equation. All scholars received a copy of his book. FALL | 27
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5
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4. It’s always a treat to share our upcoming plans with the new and old scholars alike. A highlight this year was announcing that every scholar would be paired with a community mentor.
5. The sessions are more than just lectures outside of the university classroom. In his presentation on mindfulness, Derek Luk from the Wellness Centre had scholars walking mindfully, eating mindfully, and completing full-body mindfulness scans. Having some of the busiest schedules of any student at the university, this moment to oneself was very appreciated.
6. The Community Service Projects are given to the new cohort at the retreat, and we waste no time in getting them working on it. With the directors of each non-profit on-call to answer student questions, scholars dive right into their plans for the next semester, divvy up responsibilities and create deadlines.
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8
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7. When the workshops are over, the real fun begins. For the second year in a row, Saturday night ended with scholar-led games (and prizes)! This year, scholars Sam Geisterfer and Jonah Zankl organized a variety of team-building games that included blindfolded puzzles, push-up competitions, and relay races.
8. We would be amiss to not mention the wonderful food at The Banff Centre. Some of the most interesting and engaging conversations happen over the meal table. We were also fortunate to have Dr. Richard Sigurdson, Dean of Arts and member of the Scholars Academy Advisory Council, join us for lunch.
9. Getting to know one another outside of the academic context has proven to be one of the most beneficial parts of the Annual Retreat. Building trust and respect in this context helps solidify relationships .
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10
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10. The thing we love the most about the Annual Retreat has to be spending the weekend together!
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SPEAKER SERIES The ATB Sponsored Speaker Series continues to be popular among students and staff. This year started off with Dr. Thomas Keenan, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Design and Chair of the Scholars Academy Advisory Council, and his presentation “Technocreep: The Surrender of Privacy & The Capitalization of Intimacy”. Dr. Keenan unraveled the creepy world of technology, from password pills to “denial-of-service” dogs, discussing the social implications they might have. FALL | 34
UPCOMING SPEAKERS LOURDES JUAN November 23, 2015 Can you have too many passions? Lourdes Juan doesn’t think so – as the director of both development company LMJ Consultants and boutique spa Soma Advanced Skin and Body Therapy, as well as founder of LeftoversYYC, she’s proof you can do it all. In her presentation, Lourdes will share her unconventional path and how she found success.
NAN ESKENAZI February 22, 2016 Coffee is a student’s best friend! Nan Eskenazi, co-founder of the Good Earth Coffeehouse chain, will discuss how sustainability, entrepreneurship, and a good cup of coffee transformed their tiny café into a successful franchise with over 40 locations.
CODY TOUSIGNANT & MAUREETA PERCY March 14, 2016 Market and customer intelligence are important and fascinating fields. Cody Tousignant, Senior Research Manager at ATB and PhD student in Cognitive and Consumer Psychology at the University of Calgary, will be joined by his colleague Maureeta Percy, Senior Manager, Client & Market Insights at ATB Financial with over 30 years of experience in the industry, to talk about this interesting topic.
Join us: PROUDLY SPONSORED BY:
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4:30 – 6:00 pm MB 202
Program: Fourth Year Biomedical Sciences City of Birth: Calgary
Top Calgary Spot: Bow River Pathway Favourite Book: The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini Words to Live By: “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising everytime we fall” Grandest Achievement: Finally holding myself accountable for the community I live in. Biggest Mistake: Thinking that there was no such thing as √ -1 Role Model: My dad. Charity of Choice: To be honest, I can’t single out a charity of choice Person you'd like tonight: Kary Mullis
to
have
dinner
with
A M A N DA
LEE
"In 10 years I...": want to look back and have no regrets.
MEET A SCHOLAR Program: Fourth Year Biological Sciences City of Birth: Vancouver, B.C. Top Calgary Spot: Sushi-Bar Miki Favourite Book: Mastering the Art of French Cooking - Julia Child Words to Live By: "Death be not proud, though some have called thee ? Mighty and dreadful, for, thou art not soe” - John Donne Grandest Achievement: Making chocolate soufflé without a mixer
a
big
Biggest Mistake: Telling someone what they want to hear Role Model: Ruslan Medzhitov Charity of Guatemala
MICHEAL TO M
Choice:
Impact
Ministries,
Person you'd like to have dinner with tonight: Shinichi Chiaki "In 10 years I...": hope to still be drinking at spring.
FALL | 36Pierian the
SPEAKER SERIES
JOURNAL CLUB
CONNECT WITH US: FACEBOOK: UofCScholarsAcademy TWITTER: @UofCSAP EMAIL: sap@ucalgary.ca PHONE: 403.220.7551
SPECIAL EVENTS
MEET & GREETS
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Scholars Academy
MacKimmie Block 204 2500 University Drive NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 Canada
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sap@ucalgary.ca 403.220.7551