SAM Spring 2012

UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE

VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 2 | SPRING 2012

S O U T H E R N A L B E R TA M A G A Z I N E

Celebrating 45 years People have asked, “Why are you celebrating the 45th anniversary of the University of Lethbridge?” For me, the answer is simple: milestones are meant to be celebrated and this is a great opportunity to talk about all that is the U of L — our past, present and future. Recollecting and retelling the stories of our somewhat rebellious beginnings has been a very rewarding experience.

The U of L is an original. This issue of SAM takes a look at some of the “untold stories” of those early years of our history. We talked to some of you who were there when it all began in 1967, those who helped forge a path forward when not everyone shared the same vision – thank you for your chutzpah!

stay informed Your official U of L news source: www.ulethbridge.ca/unews Photos of your U: www.flickr.com/ulethbridge Join our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/ulethbridge.ca

Many individuals have been proud to call this university their own for the past 45 years. We are incredibly sad to say goodbye to Dr. W. A. Sam Smith, our first president and our magazine’s namesake, who passed away in February 2012. In the early years he was described as “radical, exuberant and wonderful,” a leader many were happy to follow. Anyone who ever met Sam would probably agree that his enthusiasm was infectious and his legacy will be the sense of community that lives at the heart of our university today.

I hope you enjoy the Spring 2012 issue of SAM.

Follow: @ulethbridgenews Check out all of our publications online: www.issuu.com/ulethbridge Tanya Jacobson-Gundlock, Editor

ILLINGWORTH KERR, BIG HILLS, WILLOWS AND ASPEN, AUTUMN, 1979 From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection | Gift of Jim Coutts, 2010.

Born in Lumsden, Sask., Illingworth Kerr (1905-1989) is known for his vivid portrayal of the prairie landscape. A contemporary of the Group of Seven painters, Kerr’s work is dominated by angular fields, rolling skies and the simple structures of the prairie town.

Often described as a regional western artist, Kerr’s heavily painted canvases and long curving brush strokes have made him a pioneer in the development of visual arts in Alberta.

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features 2

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MARCH IN MAY

ALTERNATE VIEW

Read the story of the U of L’s rebellious beginnings as seen through the eyes of those directly involved in the fray.

The University of Lethbridge Faculty of Health Sciences will broaden its research and teaching horizons in a unique research discipline thanks to a $1-million gift from southern Alberta businessman Dr. Tom Droog.

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SPOTLIGHT ON RESEARCH

UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE

ART GALLERY

The Art of Caring for Collections

As a global leader in water research and the larger environmental issues associated with this life-sustaining resource, the U of L is making significant waves with its water research.

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SIGNIFICANT AND MENTIONABLE Find out what’s happening at your university as the U of L celebrates its 45th anniversary.

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ALUMNI NEWS AND EVENTS Everything you need to know about alumni events, chapters, news and benefits.

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ALMA MATTERS Looking to reconnect? Alma Matters features news and notes from your former classmates.

26 BUILDING ON A LEGACY OF INCLUSIVITY Recent initiatives for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students at the University of Lethbridge are part of an ongoing commitment to Aboriginal communities.

34 DR. W. A. SAM SMITH Remembering University of Lethbridge founding president, Dr. W. A. Sam Smith, who died on February 8, 2012, at the age of 82.

EDITOR: Tanya Jacobson-Gundlock ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Kali McKay DESIGNER: Three Legged Dog Design PHOTOGRAPHERS: Rod Leland Rob Olson Jaime Vedres ILLUSTRATOR: Angelsea Saby

36 INTRODUCING THE FIAT LUX RING The University of Lethbridge Alumni Association is proud to announce the launch of the Fiat Lux Ring, available only to U of L alumni.

CONTRIBUTORS: Kristine Carlsen Wall Bob Cooney Caitlin Crawshaw Jane Edmundson Natasha Evdokimoff Alesha Farfus-Shukaliak Juliet Graham Betsy Greenlees Brett Humphries Trevor Kenney Josephine Mills Julia Mitchell Karissa Patton Maureen Schwartz Stacy Seguin Dana Yates U of L Advancement Office

PRINTING: PrintWest SAM is published by University Advancement at the University of Lethbridge two times annually. The opinions expressed or implied in the publication do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Lethbridge Board of Governors. Submissions in the form of letters, articles, story ideas or notices of events are welcome.

SAM is distributed free of charge to a controlled circulation list. To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your address, please contact us.

SAM – University Advancement University of Lethbridge 4401 University Drive W. Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4 Toll free: 1-866-552-2582 E-mail: sam@uleth.ca www.ulethbridge.ca To view SAM online, visit: www. issuu.com/ ulethbridge

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March IN May The original U of L Board of Governors

Dr. Dennis Connolly as a new faculty member in 1967

BY NATASHA NATASHAEVDOKIMOFF EVDOKIMOFF BY (BA ‘95, BMGT ‘97) Spring came late to southern Alberta in 1967. It was early May, and the county of Lethbridge was still in the grip of a series of intense storms that had dumped a total of almost six feet of snow over the region. Lethbridge was immobilized, but after several weeks of hard work the streets had been cleared, food and supplies had been brought in, and things were slowly returning to normal.

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Dennis Connolly, a master’s graduate fresh out of the University of Western Ontario, was passing through Lethbridge at the time. As fate would have it, while in town Connolly picked up a copy of the Lethbridge Herald and read about a university that would open in the city that very fall. Wouldn’t it be great, he thought, to spend a year or two working here? He liked the feel of the city and ventured over to the fledgling university to inquire about a job.

While Connolly spoke to the head of the math department that afternoon, behind the scenes a whirlwind of planning and preparation was underway. The Lethbridge Junior College had been offering first- and second-year university courses for a number of years, and faculty members, in co-operation with the City of Lethbridge, had leveraged the filledto-capacity classes to commission a full-fledged university.

The newly appointed U of L Board of Governors dove headlong into

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what the University’s first president, Dr. Sam Smith (LLD ’90), called a period of “constructive chaos.” It was spring, and they had to be up and running by fall. Faculty needed to be hired, facilities needed to be secured, a curriculum had to be created – the to-do list was mind boggling, but excitement and optimism were high.

Dr. Owen Holmes (DASc ’05) had been teaching in the university section at the Junior College since 1965, and was on the Board of Governors in the thick of the

FORTY-FIVE YEARS AGO, A FORWARD-THINKING GROUP OF CITIZENS BELIEVED THAT SOUTHERN ALBERTA MERITED ITS OWN UNIVERSITY. NO ONE INVOLVED IN ITS INCEPTION COULD HAVE PREDICTED WHAT THE FUTURE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE WOULD BECOME. THEY ONLY KNEW THAT IT WOULD BE WELL WORTH THE FIGHT. U of L students attending classes on the Lethbridge Junior College campus Dr. Owen Holmes

planning for the University of Lethbridge.

small and they thought we’d stay that way.”

after his coincidental stop in town, remembers it as an exciting time.

What Holmes and the other board members soon discovered though, was that there was no provincial plan to speak of.

Planning went ahead full speed and on September 11, 1967, more than 650 students attended the first day of classes at the new University of Lethbridge. The highly debated and much-anticipated university, the culmination of years of effort by a dedicated group of individuals, Alberta’s third university, was finally a reality.

“It was fantastic to have a clean slate and be able to create our own curriculum,” says Connolly. “At an established university there’s thinking that the way to do things is the way they’ve always been done.

We were writing the rules as we went along. We taught toward the needs of the students.”

“The government had no idea what they were going to do beyond giving permission to proceed,” says Holmes. “There were no official plans. I think they thought that all we’d need was a building or two on the college campus, and that would do for southern Alberta. We started

Connolly, who was hired as a calculus and statistics professor days

One of those students was a young man by the name of Richard Wutzke (BASc ’72). Wutzke

was 19 years old in 1967, and like so many young people of the time, he felt impassioned by the social unrest happening the world over. Lethbridge was an ultraconservative town – a very safe seat in the Social Credit dynasty, but its youth wanted a piece of the global revolution. Wutzke ran for Students’ Union president and won a striking 72 per cent majority on a platform of progressiveness and activism, handily defeating his opponent who took what Wutzke calls a “let’s not make too many waves” position.

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“AT AN ESTABLISHED UNIVERSITY THERE’S THINKING THAT THE WAY TO DO THINGS IS THE WAY THEY’VE ALWAYS BEEN DONE. WE WERE WRITING THE RULES AS WE WENT ALONG. WE TAUGHT TOWARD THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS.” DENNIS CONNOLLY

U of L Students register for classes

Richard Wutzke, U of L Students’ Union President 1968-69

By both circumstance and necessity, the new University of Lethbridge was poised for what would be one of the most important and influential political battles southern Alberta has ever seen: the Board of Governors was creating a cosmopolitan culture in microcosm, hiring talented and motivated faculty members like Connolly who appreciated the opportunity to be part of a university built from the ground up; students were primed by the social culture of the times; and the City of Lethbridge wanted the University to thrive in

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the interest of municipal growth and economic development. Yet in the face of all of this momentum, the provincial government believed a separate campus was out of the question – it wasn’t necessary, and it wasn’t in the budget.

At the time, the west bank of the Oldman River was a blank canvas.

The land wasn’t owned by the City and only a few old farmhouses stood on it. The province immediately shot down the idea of building a campus there.

“We needed a separate campus.

With the 20/20 hindsight of today, does anyone doubt that?” says Wutzke. “President Smith was an inspirational leader and he instilled in all of us a sense of shared vision.”

“They told us no way, you’re being far too grandiose,” recalls Holmes. “The government had given us permission to exist but they wouldn’t give us the autonomy to determine our own future.”

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In an era defined by freedom and liberation, government handcuffs rubbed a lot of skin raw. The westside site had been approved by the faculty association, the Students’ Union and the City of Lethbridge.

Seeing an opportunity to expand across the river, Mayor Andy Anderson came to the negotiation table with an offer from the City to buy land on the west side of the river and donate a portion of it to the University. The provincial position was still a no-go.

Protestors march down Fourth Avenue in Lethbridge following the U of L’s first convocation.

Thirty-two degrees were awarded at the U of L’s first convocation ceremony in 1968.

The final straw came in the form a proposed referendum on the issue on the part of the government – a move that by then was tantamount to throwing a lit match into a barrel of gasoline.

“Our role as student leaders was clear,” says Wutzke. “We needed our own campus. A referendum was a convenient way to overturn a democratic decision that had been reached between the University and the City, and an affront to the U of L. We had the youth, energy and

chutzpah to make the noise required to get attention about that.”

On the evening of May 16, 1968, just two days before the U of L’s first convocation ceremony was scheduled to take place, a group of students went boldly into the night via car brigade to the home of Lethbridge MLA John Landeryou in protest of the referendum, and in loud vocal support of the right of students to be involved in the decision-making process.

“The brief meeting was a chaotic affair and a lot of frustration got vented,” recalls Wutzke.

Just a year prior, Lethbridge had sat debilitated under a crippling snowstorm, but that night the atmosphere in the city was warm and supercharged. Protest signs silhouetted the sky and rally cries echoed. Police showed up almost immediately, but protesters were undeterred.

By the end of the evening both

Wutzke and his right-hand man, Arthur Joevenazzo, were taken into custody, only released after a supportive President Smith made his way to the police station to vouch for the character of his students.

But the protests in Lethbridge weren’t over. Convocation went ahead two days later as scheduled.

Afterward, the citizens of Lethbridge witnessed the second protest to take place in as many days, as all faculty and students

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DO YOU HAVE A U OF L STORY TO TELL?

BY SHARING YOUR STORY, YOU HELP THE U OF L TELL ITS STORY. VISIT THISISMYU.CA TO STAY CONNECTED.

Students, faculty and local citizens gather in Galt Gardens in support of the west-side site.

University and government representatives turn sod for the U of L’s permanent campus on the west bank of the Oldman River.

present at the Southminster Church ceremony marched down Fourth Avenue, replete in their caps and gowns, to a rally in Galt Gardens in support of the west-side site.

National media started to pay attention. CBC news sent a team to Edmonton to get the government’s side of the story, and then to follow up in Lethbridge the next day. That evening, before the news team had left Edmonton, Premier Manning announced that the west-side site had been approved.

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On a blustery day in 1969, a sodturning ceremony was held where the University of Lethbridge now stands. Forty-five years later, the University of Lethbridge is 8,500 students strong – a leading example of liberal education and student involvement.

No one on the site that day could have predicted how the future University of Lethbridge would look. They only knew that the struggle to give it autonomy would be well worth the fight.

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Untold

U L OF

Stories

Richard Wutzke being taken into custody.

Officials arrive at Southminster United Church for the U of L’s first convocation.

Protesters make their way down Fourth Avenue.

SU PRESIDENT ARRESTED A combination of youthful enthusiasm, righteous indignation and an activist student culture led to one of the most significant nights in the early history of the University of Lethbridge and the young life of Richard Wutzke (BASc ’72).

It was May 1968 and determining the future site of the fledgling university was the topic of the day.

While University administration, faculty, students and the City of Lethbridge all agreed that a west-side location matched the vision of the University’s founders, the provincial government did not originally accept this recommendation, and instead proposed a local referendum to determine the site.

With philosophical lines drawn, University students took to the streets, and on one fateful night, to the avenue in front of Lethbridge MLA John Landeryou’s house.

“Today I’d be embarrassed to go forging out on an expedition like this with the kind of information we had,” chuckles then Students’ Union President Wutzke, recalling an evening meeting with University faculty as the impetus for a placard-waving group to descend upon Landeryou’s home.

“We felt that somehow Mr. Landeryou was in cahoots with landowners surrounding the junior college who all stood to make very handsome profits by the expropriation of their property.”

When police arrived, they quickly identified Wutzke as a ringleader and put him into a police cruiser.

“I was taken into the police car and then the car was surrounded by students,” says Wutzke. “Everybody sat down on the asphalt to prevent the police car from moving. Finally they basically threatened to run people over and they left with me.”

His good friend, Arthur Joevenazzo, would be brought in later but the two were not actually charged, fingerprinted or put into a cell.

University President Sam Smith got out of bed, drove down to the police station and vouched for the duo’s character. Wutzke’s father eventually came to drive him home.

Two days later, following the University’s first convocation, a street march was held, culminating with a rally at Galt Gardens. Days later, with provincial eyes now on Lethbridge and its rebellious students, the government backed off and the westside plan was ratified.

“If I hadn’t been there, somebody else would have been there,” says Wutzke modestly. “What’s important is that at that time in history, the students, even though they would not be the recipients of this glorious new campus, acted and didn’t sit on their hands, and change occurred. When I look back at that, there is a sense of pride.”

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Karen Wilson was crowned the University of Lethbridge Queen in 1969.

VW mysteriously appears on the roof of University Hall.

UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE CROWNS A QUEEN In early February 1969, Karen Wilson flashed a smile at her competitors as she took her place on the throne after being named the University of Lethbridge Queen.

Wilson was nominated by her fellow students and successfully campaigned for the crown, which was presented in a ceremony by U of L President Dr. Sam Smith.

She went on to represent the University of Lethbridge at the

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VW PARKS ON UNIVERSITY HALL 1969 Chinook Winter Carnival, where she competed against the chosen queens from the Lethbridge Junior College, the Municipal and St. Michael’s hospitals.

Wilson was not named the Chinook Winter Carnival Queen. The honour went to Helen Jasuikiewicz, a nursing student at St. Michael’s Hospital, who reigned over the remaining two days of the carnival.

It was one of the strangest sights ever seen – a Volkswagen VW Beetle perched atop University Hall.

On the morning of Jan. 16, 1984, members of the University’s security team were shocked to find the wayward vehicle parked on top of University Hall’s A section. It was established that at some point during the previous night, a group had disassembled the Beetle to the point where it could fit into a freight elevator and be transported to the roof. Once there, the car

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was put back together and left for posterity.

The U of L’s Lepers Club, a former student group promoting participation in social and sporting activities on campus, has long been rumoured to have performed the stunt. To this day, no group has claimed responsibility for the prank and its perpetrators remain a mystery.

BY KALI MCKAY (BA ‘06, MA ‘10)

P HOTO B Y R O B O L S ON P HOTO G RAP H Y

The University of Lethbridge Faculty of Health Sciences will broaden its research and teaching horizons in a unique research discipline with the establishment of a $2-million endowment at the University – enabled by a gift of $1 million from southern Alberta businessman Dr. Tom Droog (LLD ’06).

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There is a saying among immigrants that the place you land is the place you love and no one believes this more firmly than Dr. Tom Droog (LLD ’06). Since coming from Holland in 1972, Droog has been firmly planted in southern Alberta and now, 40 years later, a team of wild horses could not drag the straightshooting southern Alberta businessman out of this part of the country.

“The West is different,” says Droog simply.

“We think differently out here and it’s because of the wide open space, because we have that much more room.”

Droog first experienced the Alberta advantage as part of the Young Farmers Program, which brought him to Canada to work as a farm hand for nine months. Having seen the opportunities afforded by the expanse of the Canadian Prairies, it was not long before he decided to make Canada his permanent home.

“When I left Holland, I had lead in my shoes,” says Droog, who arrived with $125 in his pocket. “I had something to prove because I didn’t want to be the guy with the big yak who had to go back with his tail between his legs.”

Determined to make something of himself, Droog was convinced that Alberta offered his best shot at success. A 19-year old Emmy Van Diepen, on the other hand, was not so sure.

The couple had been dating since they were introduced at a Dutch dance in western Ontario.

Emmy, who Droog describes as “sharp, motivated and very strong willed,” had also recently emigrated from Holland and wanted to stay near her family in the East.

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“FOR YEARS, EVERY MORNING I GET UP AND TELL MYSELF TO BECOME WHAT I’M MEANT TO BE BECAUSE I TRULY BELIEVE THAT I HAVE A PURPOSE TO FULFIL.” DR. TOM DROOG

After failing to secure a mortgage for farmland in Ontario, Droog entered a new round of negotiations – this time with Emmy.

He proposed they head west and offered to make things worth her while: he would buy a two-way ticket and if she did not like it in Alberta, she could fly home at any time.

Emmy accepted his offer.

“Looking back, it was quite courageous of her to come with me,” says Droog, who was known as a bit of a wild card. “She was giving up a lot and I really respected her for taking that chance.”

As it turns out, Emmy never used the return ticket. In 1974, the couple purchased their first quarter section of land and a year later they were married.

“There was a farm for sale with a really good house on it near Bow Island, Alta. I asked Emmy if she liked the house. She said she really liked the house so I told her I would learn to love the land. Happy wife, happy life,” pipes Droog.

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P HOTO BY R OB OL S O N PH OTO GR AP HY

Southern Alberta businessman Tom Droog honours his late wife through a gift to the U of L Faculty of Health Sciences.

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Over the next several years, Droog mastered the art of farming but he never came to terms with the involvement of the Canadian Wheat Board.

Following a 10-day farm tour through the United States, Droog returned home to table another offer to his wife and business partner.

“I came home and told Emmy that sunflower seeds were wide open,” remembers Droog, who planned to sell the seeds as bird feed. After getting the goahead from Emmy, Droog grew his first crop of sunflowers in 1979.

Tom Droog was awarded an honourary degree from the U of L in 2006.

Tom and Emmy Droog in 2007.

Initially started as Alberta Sunflower Seeds Ltd. supplying the local birdseed market, the Droogs vaulted to the forefront of consumer snacking success in 1990 when they introduced Spitz, a line of roasted sunflower seed snacks.

Partners in everything, the Droogs worked together to build their business while raising two children, daughter Christy Strom (BN ’03) and son Randy.

“It was very difficult at times but I wouldn’t have traded it for the world,” says Droog of working with his wife. “I think husband-and-wife teams in small business can be absolutely awesome. I came up with some great ideas and she kept me grounded.

Then, we’d make a decision and move forward. It was a lot of give and take. Without my wife, I could never have pulled it off.”

In 2008, the Droogs sold Spitz to PepsiCo. He admits they were blessed beyond measure, but for Droog there is no secret to his success – it was the result of hard work and determination.

P HOTO S SU BM I T T E D

“For years, every morning I get up and tell myself to become what I’m meant to be because I truly believe that I have a purpose to fulfil,” says Droog. “If you’re fulfilling your purpose, you’ll have an awesome life because nothing will ever seem like work.”

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Emmy and Tom Droog in 2007.

Droog’s exuberant passion for life belies the difficulties he’s faced, none more challenging than Emmy’s battle with cancer.

“When doctors mention the word cancer, people stop listening,” says Droog, who was devastated by his wife’s diagnosis in 2006. “When they told us what they were going to do to Emmy, she said: ‘you wouldn’t do that to your dog.’ And that was the right answer. She decided there’s got to be something else.”

So, the couple did what they had always done best: they worked together. They spent the next three years investigating complementary and alternative health-care options that would help prolong and improve the quality of Emmy’s life, including baking-soda treatments, megadose vitamin therapies, energy work, radiation and hyperthermia.

With relatively few therapies available in southern Alberta, treatment was difficult to arrange and always involved travel but Emmy was fiercely determined to do things her way.

“Emmy really believed in the alternatives,” says Droog, who was Emmy’s strongest advocate.

“All she ever asked for was that I lovingly support her decisions. I didn’t always do it lovingly, but I always supported her.”

Emmy never stopped fighting and her condition continued to improve. Unfortunately, time ran out and Emmy lost her battle with cancer in 2010.

Despite the outcome, Droog sees the potential for complementary and alternative health care within the existing model of western medicine.

“I saw some tremendous things happening in some of the clinics we visited and I think the

combination of those treatments with what usually happens here would be awesome,” says Droog.

“We met people at a clinic in Mexico who were told by Canadian and American doctors that there was no hope. With the help of this one doctor we were blessed to meet, they are now getting maintenance treatments and living normal lives.”

Droog and his family knew Emmy would want to be honoured in the same way she fought her battle: off the beaten medical path. The Emmy Droog Professorship in Complementary and Alternative Health Care established in the University of Lethbridge Faculty of Health Sciences will employ evidence-based research to explore the issues and care practices associated with complementary and alternative health therapies.

“It is very encouraging to know that we have such a strong, committed individual working alongside us. We are honoured to have been chosen as the recipient of this gift and are committed to using the resources we’ve been entrusted with wisely,” says Hosgood.

For Droog and his family, education is key.

“It’s important to get this information into the mainstream,” says Droog’s daughter Christy, who now works as a community-care case manager at Lethbridge Community Care. “Some of the alternative treatments are very simple; the problem is they’re expensive and not everyone has access to them. We also need to educate healthcare professionals about alternative therapies so that they can better serve their patients.”

“I believe in education and alternative healing and I’m happy to be able to support them both through this gift,” says Droog. “I believe that ideas come from ideas and I think this has awesome potential.”

Although more than 75 per cent of the population is currently using some form of alternative and complementary health care, there is still much to learn. For Droog, the wide-open nature of the field signals new opportunities.

Dr. Christopher Hosgood, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, is looking forward to the opportunities afforded by this significant gift, which will benefit all programs in the Faculty.

“I’m still a big picture guy,” says Droog, reflecting on the adventurous young man who made Alberta his home. “Now it’s a matter of what I do with that bigger picture and I see lots of potential right here at home.”

“Nursing, addictions counselling and public health at the U of L are naturally inclined to alternative therapies, although we’ve never had the chance to fully explore some of those options.

Thanks to Dr. Droog’s gift, we can now develop expertise in these areas.”

Hosgood adds that as the largest individual donation to health sciences at the U of L and the Faculty’s first endowed professorship, Droog’s gift represents a vote of confidence in the Faculty and helps set the stage for future growth.

“I BELIEVE IN EDUCATION AND ALTERNATIVE HEALING AND I’M HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEM BOTH THROUGH THIS GIFT.” DR. TOM DROOG

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SPOTLIGHT ON RESEARCH

Water Environment the

By studying water and environmental issues locally, University of Lethbridge researchers are discovering fundamental principles that help bolster a global body of knowledge.

In the following pages, you’ll read about three researchers from different disciplines who are all working to expand our knowledge and understanding of environmental issues and develop innovative research solutions to some critical problems around water and the environment.

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Investigating the sustainability

Life’s

resources

BY DANA YATES

The late American essayist Loren Eiseley once wrote, “If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.” Indeed, with about 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface covered by water, there is a considerable amount of magic to go around. And a good deal of it is being studied at the University of Lethbridge.

A global leader in water research and the larger environmental issues associated with this lifesustaining resource, the U of L made sustainability a key priority in its 2009-13 strategic plan. What’s more, the University intends to keep sustainability issues at the forefront well into the future. It’s an important acknowledgment of the University’s environmental leadership, a focus on walking the talk, but for the record, the recognition hasn’t only come internally.

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In 2005, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly proclaimed 2005-15 as the international decade for action on water. Named Water for Life, the initiative is meant to ensure the long-lasting, sustainable management of water resources – both in terms of quantity and quality. As part of worldwide action to address the numerous water challenges of the future – everything from greater consumption to the growing need for sanitation infrastructure – the UN selected the U of L as the Canadian location for Water for Life activity.

The choice makes perfect sense when you consider the University’s extensive complement of water researchers and its unique location in the Oldman River Valley of southern Alberta. To that end, in the years following the UN designation, the U of L has made significant waves with its water research, attracting top-level researchers and students alike.

And when it comes to water, there are as many issues to study as proverbial fish in the sea. On that note, U of L researchers are diving into a variety of investigations. And much of the research is being conducted at the U of L’s Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building (AWESB).

Opened in 2008, this 5,500 square-metre facility provides a vital gathering space for researchers of various disciplines (from biological sciences to geography to imaging), as well as students and community partners. Together they are advancing understanding of environmental issues and developing innovative solutions to real-world problems concerning sustainability. In fact, ideas being explored at the U of L hold the promise of making an impact on a global scale.

With the precedent set, the infrastructure in place and the expertise on campus, it is not surprising

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SPOTLIGHT ON RESEARCH

that the U of L formalized its reputation as a leader in water research by establishing the Water Institute for Sustainable Environments (WISE). At WISE, U of L scholars are studying everything from water conservation to climate change to the vegetation along river valleys. “It’s our goal to look at water issues from all angles,” says WISE Director Dr. Joe Rasmussen, a professor of biological sciences and the holder of a Tier I Canada Research Chair in aquatic ecosystems and Aquatic Ecotoxicology.

Rasmussen’s work is a testament to the comprehensive nature of the U of L’s water research. Among his numerous studies, for instance, he is monitoring the cumulative effects of selenium in pit lakes (once home to coal mines) and seeing how this chemical element causes birth defects in the fish of surrounding water systems.

Working in partnership with the Alberta Ministry of Environment and Water, Rasmussen aims to

mitigate the presence of selenium in water and eventually reduce the ecological footprint of coal mining.

“MANY STREAMS ARE

But Rasmussen isn’t just concerned about the quality of Alberta waterways; he’s also interested in the types of fish that inhabit them. Specifically, he is evaluating what happens to populations of native fish when new species are introduced to the ecosystem. The consequences, he has found, include increased competition for food and interspecies breeding – a phenomenon that progressively reduces the number of “pure fish” at higher levels of the watershed.

INTRODUCED SPECIES. BY

“Many streams are being taken over by introduced species,” says Rasmussen. “By predicting the results of hybridization, we can do future resource planning and learn how to protect the native genome.”

BEING TAKEN OVER BY

PREDICTING THE RESULTS OF HYBRIDIZATION, WE CAN DO FUTURE RESOURCE PLANNING AND LEARN HOW TO PROTECT THE NATIVE GENOME.” DR. JOE RASMUSSEN

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Dr. Sarah Boon shares Rasmussen’s interest in safeguarding the environment. A professor of geography, Boon is director of the University’s Mountain Hydrology Laboratory, a research group that works predominately in alpine and Arctic areas.

She says there are several key reasons to study water at higher elevations. Chief among them, 80 per cent of the world’s water comes from these regions.

“So, if we change the climate or land cover in these areas, any subsequent effects on hydrology can affect downstream users as well,” Boon says.

“Also, mountain regions are very sensitive to predicted climate change, which will result in a range of changes to hydrological processes in mountain regions.”

Already, she continues, there have been noticeable shifts in mountain precipitation, from snow to rain.

This translates to a decreased amount of water during the spring melt season and a reduced supply of water during the summer. Additionally, global

warming is causing changes in the vegetation of mountain regions. The treeline, for example, is moving into what were once alpine meadows.

Through her research, Boon hopes to answer several questions. For example, how much surface stream flow and subsurface recharge is fed by snowmelt? How do weather, vegetation and the flow of water affect the temperature of streams (a critical aspect of fish habitat)? And what happens to the water supply when the forest cover is changed by natural events (e.g., insect infestation and wildfire) or human activity (e.g., harvesting and oil-and-gas exploration)?

The knowledge that Boon acquires by studying Canada’s Rocky Mountains stands to make a major impact locally – these mountains supply surface water throughout Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. But the benefits of Boon’s research could also extend around the world.

“Our research team shares a lot of ideas and discussion with researchers throughout the North American West and down to Colorado, for example,” she says. “We are also in touch with researchers from Switzerland who are looking at the role of mountain forests in water supply.”

That global perspective is also a key feature of the Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Centre (ATIC), a research facility based at the U of L. At ATIC, researchers are taking a decidedly big-picture view of the planet – one that can only be seen from space.

Among the many projects underway at ATIC, researchers are using remote sensing to monitor the Earth’s natural resources and surface water.

With the help of satellite images, researchers can, for instance, identify environmental disturbances down below. Those images, in turn, provide critical data about the impact of oil mining and the health of lakes, rivers and streams.

SPOTLIGHT ON RESEARCH

“IN THE FUTURE, WATER WILL BECOME EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN OIL. WATCHING CHANGES THROUGH LAND MAPPING WILL ASSIST WITH WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AND PROVIDE VITAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS.” DR. KARL STAENZ

While work at ATIC is just getting started – the centre opened in spring 2011 – its director, Dr. Karl Staenz, believes the research has tremendous potential to effect change. “In the future, water will become even more important than oil. Watching changes through land mapping will assist with watershed management and provide vital information about the impact of environmental stressors.”

Recognizing the significance of the U of L’s water and environmental research program, the provincial government recently invested in three new research Chairs at the University as part of the Campus Alberta Innovates Program (CAIP). The U of L has begun looking for a world-class researcher in aquatic health. The Chair will develop a research program to investigate the impact of altered water quality and quantity on fish and other aquatic organisms in Alberta. The goal of the research is to gain new insights on how to maintain and restore healthy aquatic ecosystems. Another CAIP Chair in terrestrial ecosystems remote sensing is planned to advance the work of ATIC.

“Not only do these areas align with the Government of Alberta’s strategic priorities, but they also reflect core strengths of our institution,” says Dr. Dan Weeks, the U of L’s vice-president (research).

“What is so significant about the introduction of these Chairs is that it allows us to continue to grow our research capacity in these strategic areas, thereby allowing us to realign other resources and point them at areas of emerging strength.”

The University of Lethbridge, together with the University of Texas (Austin) and Alberta Innovates-Energy and Environment Solutions, is hosting Water in a World of Seven Billion, a dialogue leading to game-changing solutions supporting sustainable water management outcomes. The conference is May 8-12, 2012, at the Sheraton Eau Claire in Calgary, Alta.

For more information or to register, visit www.ww7b.org.

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Giving Back

“We want to make sure students continue to have the opportunity to play for, cheer on and take pride in the Pronghorns. That’s why we support University athletics.”

Bernie (left) and Toby Boulet

Toby (BEd ‘89, MEd ‘04) and Bernie Regardless of the roles they play, they The Pronghorn Annual Fund provides (BEd ‘88) Boulet are proud to be are happy to continue their involvement money for today’s student athletes. Your part of the Pronghorns family. with University athletics. gift supports facilities, programming and student awards, and can be As a student Bernie was a member of “Athletics was an important part of our designated to the sport of your choice. the inaugural women’s soccer team, University experience and as alumni we and while Toby didn’t play for the are still proud to be U of L Pronghorns,” Your donation demonstrates your Pronghorns, he was a dedicated fan. says Bernie. connection to Pronghorns Athletics and Today, Toby is the manager of the the University. Will you show your pride U of L women’s rugby team and Bernie For those reasons, the Boulets want to and make a gift today? is cheering from the sidelines. give back.

www.ulethbridge.ca/giving University Advancement | University of Lethbridge | 4401 University Drive W. | Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4 1-888-552-2582 | advancement@uleth.ca

U N I V E R S I T Y O F L E T H B R I D G E A RT G A L L E RY

RE MOVING AN ACCRETION FROM AN ACRYLIC PAINTING Frederick Brown, Untitled,1976 (detail), acrylic on paper From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection, gift of T. Gordon Sim, 1991

art + people = x series

PHOTOS SU BM I T TE D

THE ART OF CARING FOR COLLECTIONS ART COLLECTIONS PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXHIBIT AND STUDY ARTWORKS AND IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PRESERVE THESE COLLECTIONS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

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AFTER 45 YEARS OF COLLECTING, THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE ART COLLECTION NUMBERS OVER 14,000 WORKS OF ART – A LOT OF OBJECTS TO TAKE CARE OF BEHIND THE SCENES.

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Staff at the U of L Art Gallery recently completed an inventory and conservation assessment of more than 9,000 works on paper, funded in part by the Canadian Heritage Museums Assistance Program. The artworks on paper were prioritized by value and by exhibition history, and were given a thorough examination for any condition problems. During the conservation assessment, observant and well-trained eyes combined with experience help to determine composition, structure and fabrication of objects. Techniques such as raking light and magnification were used to identify any damage or previous repairs.

This examination provides the foundation for determining conservation treatment options and preventive measures for the future care of the object.

as surface cleaning, tear repair or adhesive removal were undertaken. According to the Canadian Code of Ethics for Conservators, materials used by a conservator must, as a rule, be removable in the future and must not contribute to future damage. This often requires specialized knowledge and research as most materials on the market do not meet this standard.

On completion of the project, knowing that the artwork in the U of L collection is in good condition allows the gallery staff to easily make decisions regarding exhibitions on campus and loaning artworks for exhibit at other institutions.

(BELOW FAR LEFT, LEFT)

ADHESIVE REMOVAL A. C. Leighton, Threshing, Alberta, 1928, watercolour on paper From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; purchased 1988 as a result of a donation in 1987

by Gerald Pencer, Calgary

(BELOW MIDDLE)

A RAKING LIGHT SHOWS COCKLING AND PREVIOUS REPAIRS TO THIS WATERCOLOUR PAINTING Alfred W. Holdstock, Indian Canoeing, 1859 (detail) From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; purchased 1987

The information gathered also contributes to the overall value of the artworks, which are appreciated for their history, aesthetic statement or the technical expertise conveyed.

(BELOW RIGHT)

During the artwork inventory, problems with collections care were addressed: old or poor quality interleaving materials or portfolios were removed, and conservation treatments such

Nicholas De Grandmaison, Frank McMahon,

USING MAGNIFICATION TO REMOVE ADHESIVE FROM THE EDGE OF AN ARTWORK ON PAPER Oilman from Vancouver From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; gift of the De Grandmaison Family, 1988

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U N I V E R S I T Y O F L E T H B R I D G E A RT G A L L E RY

art + people = x series “OUR HERITAGE IS ALL THAT WE KNOW OF OURSELVES; WHAT WE PRESERVE OF IT, OUR ONLY RECORD. THAT RECORD IS OUR BEACON IN THE DARKNESS OF TIME; THE LIGHT THAT GUIDES OUR STEPS. CONSERVATION IS THE MEANS

BY WHICH WE PRESERVE IT. LIKE THE MUSEUM ITSELF, IT IS A COMMITMENT NOT TO THE PAST, BUT TO THE FUTURE.” PHILIP WARD, THE NATURE OF CONSERVATION – A RACE AGAINST TIME (1959)

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(BELOW LEFT)

EXAMINING THE SURFACE OF A PAINTING Artist Unknown, City of Lethbridge From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; gift of the Ukrainian Canadian Association of Lethbridge, 1971

(BELOW RIGHT)

USING MAGNIFICATION TO EXAMINE THE BACK OF AN ARTWORK

Are you looking for something different?

“With the flexibility to study and conduct research across disciplines, the individualized multidisciplinary major in the MA program provides a customized degree opportunity.

My supervisors were very supportive and helped me develop the skills I needed to succeed.”

Auburn Phillips MA candidate - Women and Gender Studies

The University of Lethbridge School of Graduate Studies offers eight unique and exciting programs in over 60 disciplines. The new individualized multidisciplinary major with concentrations in anthropology, kinesiology, sociology, and women and gender studies is just one option that students may choose in the master of arts program.

After completing her undergraduate degree, Auburn Phillips (MA candidate) was looking for a graduate program she could customize to meet her individual needs. The U of L’s Individualized Multidisciplinary Master of Arts (IMMA) was the perfect fit.

In addition to an attractive funding package available for graduate students, Auburn connected with faculty interested in supporting her work.

She specialized in women and gender studies while also working with experts in education, sociology and anthropology. This diversity allowed her to take a multidisciplinary approach to her research.

The U of L offers master’s degrees in arts, fine arts, music, sciences, management, education, counselling and health sciences, as well as PhDs in multidisciplinary areas in the sciences. You can create your own unique opportunities, giving you an extraordinary experience that cannot be duplicated at a larger institution.

For more information or to apply, contact: sgsinquiries@uleth.ca or call 403-329-5194.

Personalized. Comprehensive. Collaborative.

Alberta’s destination university. Make it yours.

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12-04-03 11:15 AM

P HOTO BY ROD LELAND (BFA ‘09) PHOTO

Kai Ichikawa taking lessons with U of L Music Conservatory instructor Breeanne Fuller (BMus ’05).

The U of L is committed to ensuring First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) students have the support they need to reach their educational goals.

Camina Manychief

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Dr. Leroy Little Bear

S AM | So u t h e r n A l b e r t a M ag az i n e | U n i v e r s i t y o f Le t h b r i d g e

Students benefit from a strong sense of community on campus.

Building on a legacy of inclusivity RECENT INITIATIVES FOR FIRST NATIONS, MÉTIS AND INUIT STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE ARE PART OF AN ONGOING COMMITMENT TO ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES.

BY CAITLIN CRAWSHAW

The U of L is looking forward to greater support for First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) students and programs as a result of new funding from the community. In late January, the Métis Nation of Alberta gave the University a $500,000 gift toward scholarships for Métis students. The University matched the funds to establish a $1-million endowment. Additionally, in February Scotiabank announced support for a new mentorship program for FNMI students in the U of L Faculty of Management. Both gifts demonstrate a commitment to ensuring FNMI students have the opportunities, financial means and support necessary to achieve success at the U of L.

“We recognize that our university is a microcosm of society. We have students from over 90 countries around the world and about 70 per cent of the student population is from outside of Lethbridge,” says Mahon. “We have to ensure everyone feels welcome and feels the U of L is a good place to learn and grow.”

“These new initiatives are good news not only for FNMI students, but also for the University as a whole,” says U of L President Dr. Mike Mahon.

In the end, the goal is to create an inclusive environment that allows all students to realize their full potential.

Forty-five years ago the U of L initiated a university-wide mandate to support FNMI students, faculty and research on campus. Built on historic Blackfoot land, the U of L has had a strong connection to southern Alberta’s FNMI people since it opened its doors in 1967. From

“A more inclusive community helps everyone tell their stories and broaden their understanding of the world,” says Dr. Leroy Little Bear (BASc ’72, DASc’04), a longtime professor who helped establish the U of L’s Native American Studies (NAS) department and the president’s advisor on FNMI initiatives. “When we hear from other people, we may learn about things that have never crossed our minds.”

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the beginning, U of L leaders tried to incorporate First Nations culture into the fabric of the University. Sam Smith, the first president, worked with the FNMI community and FNMI faculty members to find ways to accomplish this.

Their first project: creating an NAS department, which opened in 1975. The department was the first of its kind in Canada and one of the first in North America. “The University was ahead of its time,” says Mahon. “Many other western Canadian universities didn’t create similar departments until the end of the 20th century.”

Not long after the opening of the new department, FNMI-oriented programming was added to the University’s two faculties: Education and Arts & Science. As the University expanded, FNMI programming was included as new faculties and departments emerged.

When the Faculty of Management opened in the early 1980s, for instance, the U of L introduced one of North America’s first self-governance programs. The Faculty of Health Sciences now offers training for nurses working in FNMI communities as well as an addictions counselling program with a focus on FNMI populations. The Faculty of Fine Arts includes courses on FNMI art.

“Now, when you look across all the faculties and schools, there’s something going on in all of them,” says Little Bear.

P HOTO BY R OB OL S O N PHOTOG RA P HY

In addition to academic programming, the University has also created support programs for students, he adds. At native student advising, students receive help with everything from personal counselling to financial planning.

The First Nations Transition Program (FNTP)

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ensures students are prepared academically for a university program.

Among the students benefiting from this type of support is Camina Manychief. Originally from the Blood Reserve, she is nearing the end of a bachelor of arts in archaeology and geography, and is considering graduate school. Manychief credits the U of L’s FNMI programming and support for helping her to reach her educational goals.

“The faculty’s pretty amazing about encouraging discussion about native issues and supporting native students,” says Manychief, who plans to eventually return to the Blood Reserve and put her education to work in her own community.

Recent gifts from the Métis Nation of Alberta and Scotiabank promise to help the U of L build on existing support programs in order to help more students like Manychief. Plans include the development of a new centre aimed at making FNMI students find success on campus.

“The centre will be significantly influenced by Blackfoot culture, and First Nations elders will be heavily involved in its development,” says Mahon, who notes plans for the centre are still in the works. It’s not clear yet whether the University will build a brand-new structure or re-purpose part of an existing facility.

In addition to providing more physical space for students and faculty to connect, it will encourage communication between the many FNMI programs across campus. “These programs are doing wonderful things, but kind of in their own corners. What we’d like to see happen is some coordination of all of these programs across campus,” says Little Bear.

“THE UNIVERSITY WAS AHEAD OF ITS TIME. MANY OTHER WESTERN CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES DIDN’T CREATE SIMILAR DEPARTMENTS UNTIL THE END OF THE 20TH CENTURY.” DR. MIKE MAHON

S AM | So u t h e r n A l b e r t a M ag az i n e | U n i v e r s i t y o f Le t h b r i d g e

“THE FACULTY’S PRETTY AMAZING ABOUT ENCOURAGING DISCUSSION ABOUT NATIVE ISSUES AND SUPPORTING NATIVE STUDENTS.”

PHOTO BY JAI ME V EDRES (BFA ‘07) PHOTOGRAPHY

CAMINA MANYCHIEF

Support programs help ensure all students feel welcome.

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SIGNIFICANT AND MENTIONABLE

Significant AND MENTIONABLE

HARRISON ASSUMES PARKLAND INSTITUTE’S DIRECTOR’S ROLE After years as a volunteer supporter, researcher, advocate and co-director at the Parkland Institute, Dr. Trevor Harrison (sociology) has moved into the director’s chair of the Edmonton-based, provincewide research organization.

The Parkland Institute studies economic, social, cultural and political issues facing Albertans and Canadians, using the perspective of political economy.

“The institute shares the results of its research widely and promotes discussion of those issues,” Harrison says.

“Within post-secondary institutions, the Parkland Institute includes those who are involved in interdisciplinary and sociallyengaged thinking.”

New to the U of L are two awards aimed at faculty and graduate studies candidates, which Harrison hopes will spawn even more research ideas and help the Parkland Institute broaden its research base and provide opportunities for faculty members and graduate studies candidates to work together.

To learn more about the Parkland Institute, visit its website at www.parklandinstitute.ca.

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CONGRATULATIONS! The U of L extends sincere congratulations to the following members of our community for their achievements: Adam Mason (music) has been accepted as a Yamaha Artist, joining the ranks of some of North America’s

most prestigious musicians. Yamaha will be supporting his future activities including upcoming clinics in Canada, the United States and Japan.

Kristy Burke (BSc ’08) was recently honoured as a Mentor of the Millennium by the Alberta Women’s Science Network for her work in supporting youth science

programs at the U of L, specifically the Destination Exploration programs. In addition, Dr. Ute Wieden-Kothe (chemistry and biochemistry) received the 2011 Operation Minerva Mentoring Award, recognizing her significant contribution to mentoring women of all ages.

FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCHOLARSHIP DINNER HONOURS ALLEN The University of Lethbridge Faculty of Management celebrated its 25th anniversary by honouring a man who has devoted his life to his family, career and the community.

The Faculty honoured Del Allen, founder of D. A. Electric and a well-known community volunteer, entrepreneur, and supporter of post-secondary education, sport and youth programming in the city.

Proceeds from the event went to the Del Allen Scholarship.

Allen established D. A. Electric with his brother Don in 1975 and it quickly grew into a successful regional enterprise. His son Doug now manages the daily affairs of the

business. The success of D. A. Electric, combined with Allen’s values and sense of community, have allowed him to support and help provide direction for many local groups, including the Boys & Girls Club of Lethbridge & District, Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce, Lethbridge Construction Association, Interfaith Food Bank and numerous sports organizations.

Allen has also generously supported further education through donations to post-secondary institutions, including funding for University of Lethbridge athletics and academic scholarships, and a sizeable financial commitment to the library in 1995.

S AM | So u t h e r n A l b e r t a M ag az i n e | U n i v e r s i t y o f Le t h b r i d g e

Del Allen

While Allen’s company has wired a massive number of homes, businesses and industrial projects over the years, one of his brightest ideas and the most visually spectacular project was the lighting of the High Level Bridge in September 2009 during its centennial celebrations. He also helped bring the illuminated Christmas Train for a stop on the bridge that December.

Allen and D. A. Electric most fittingly won the Spirit of Lethbridge Award that year.

SIGNIFICANT AND MENTIONABLE

missed by the mainstream,” explains Dr. Josephine Mills, curator/director, U of L Art Gallery. “The gallery will curate selections of video art for Project Channel’s set of touch screens. Many of the videos will also be purchased to build up a collection.”

PROJECT CHANNEL TURNS ON Located on the 11th floor of the University Library, Project Channel is the U of L Art Gallery’s satellite space to provide access to a range of local, national and international video art.

“For decades artists have used the lowcost possibilities of video to experiment with technology, mimic popular mass media, and tell stories that are often

Viewers can either watch the latest selection or browse through the holdings on the three screens.

“The U of L Art Gallery Project Channel’s innovative approach combines the strengths of curated screenings with on-demand library viewing to create easy-to-use access to video art,” she says. “We want to thank the U of L Library and Vtape for their assistance with this project. We invite everyone to come check it out.”

WOMEN OF DISTINCTION This year, current faculty member Dr. Mary Runté (management) and Sarah Amies (BA ’98 with Distinction) were among those honoured as YWCA Women of Distinction, awards that recognize outstanding women who live and work in southern Alberta.

Chris Eagan, executive director of facilities

Runté is an associate professor of strategy and the director of social responsibility in the Faculty of Management at the University of Lethbridge.

Amies is currently the program director of Lethbridge Family Services – Immigrant Services.

EAGAN HELPS SHAPE THE FUTURE The University of Lethbridge campus has undergone significant change over recent years with the addition of a number of prominent buildings – but the biggest project is yet to come.

A proposed 300,000 square-foot complex that will transform the Faculty of Arts & Science in particular and the University as a whole is just now in the planning stages and one of the U of L’s newest employees, Chris Eagan, is at the forefront.

Eagan, the University’s new executive director of Facilities, looks at the $255 million project as an opportunity for the University to take a major step forward, one that will further define the U of L

as a leading comprehensive research institution.

“We’re at that natural point where the space that was built in 1969 is ready for renovation,” says Eagan.

“We’ve changed as a university and the things we’re doing now, the old space doesn’t fit us well. It is now constraining us fairly significantly and most seriously in the science labs, where safety is a major factor.”

He stresses that the consultation phase will be comprehensive, all in an attempt to construct a complex that will satisfy the needs of the University for years to come.

“Whatever we don’t do we own and fight with for the next 40 years, so that drives us to get it right,” he says.

Chris Eagan, executive director of facilities

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SIGNIFICANT AND MENTIONABLE

HORNS HEADED TO ALBERTA HOCKEY HALL OF FAME It was a magical run for the 1994 University of Lethbridge Pronghorns men’s hockey program, netting the school’s first national championship and saving a program in the progress.

The incredible story has been recognized on a number of levels and now, the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame has named the 1994 Horns team as one of its 2012 inductees.

Coached by Mike Babcock (current coach of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings), the Horns, who had never finished a season above the .500 mark, posted a 19-7-2 record to win the Canada West regular season title. They backed up that effort with a win in the post-season and clinched the national championship with a victory on Maple Leaf Gardens ice. The team was previously inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Lethbridge Hall of Fame.

The Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place June 9 in Red Deer.

The 1993-94 Pronghorns men’s hockey team

JOIN US FOR THE INAUGURAL PRONGHORNS SCHOLARSHIP BREAKFAST. Tuesday, September 25, 2012 7:15-8:45 a.m.

Gym | 1st Choice Savings Centre University of Lethbridge Tickets are $125 each or $1,000 for a table of 10 For more information, visit www. gohorns.ca/scholarshipbreakfast.

CANADA WEST AWARDS FOR WOMEN’S HOCKEY The U of L Pronghorns women’s hockey team posted its best ever Canada West record this season and the conference has recognized that success with a pair of major awards for the program.

First-year forward Sadie Lenstra was named Canada West Rookie of the Year and head coach Chandy Kaip earned the nod as Canada West Coach of the Year.

Lenstra was a highly recruited Calgary product who stepped right into the Pronghorns’ lineup with an immediate impact, scoring in her very first game.

Not only did she lead conference

freshmen in scoring, but with 19 points in 22 games, Lenstra finished 12th overall in the conference scoring race. The majority of her team-leading 10 goals came at the most opportune time, leading the team with three game-winning goals as Lethbridge went 14-8-2 on the season. She was also named to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport All-Rookie Team.

“Sadie is a very talented and dynamic player,” says Kaip. “She has stepped in on our first line and all special teams, and has been a top contributor for us. This is a big role for a rookie to play and Sadie exceeded many of our expectations for a first-year player.”

Kaip also met or exceeded expectations. It took some time and patience, but that perseverance paid off for the fourth-year head coach, who guided the Horns to their best season in school history. The 14 wins doubled the program’s previous best and was a 19-point turnaround from last season, vaulting the team from seventh place into a playoff spot for the first time in five years.

“Chandy had a good year this year, she had a strong recruiting class and she developed her team into a strong competitive unit,” says Pronghorn Athletics Executive Director Sandy Slavin.

TAAL NOMINATED AS CANADA WEST REPRESENTATIVE FOR NATIONAL AWARD Pronghorns women’s basketball player Lauren Taal, a graduating fifthyear senior, was nominated as the Canada West representative for the CIS Sylvia Sweeney Award as the top student-athlete in the country.

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In addition to volunteer coaching with numerous local schools and the Junior Horns program, Taal has been involved in a variety of nonbasketball activities. She has been a donor for Canadian Blood Services, participated in the network Christmas

campaign for Southern Alberta Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, assisted the Elementary Literacy program and served as a canvasser for both the Heart and Stroke and Canadian Diabetes programs.

S AM | So u t h e r n A l b e r t a M ag az i n e | U n i v e r s i t y o f Le t h b r i d g e

SPORTS HALL OF FAME CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF UNIVERSITY SPORTS The University of Lethbridge will be well represented at the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame’s 27th Anniversary Induction Ceremony, Saturday, May 5, 2012.

This year’s theme is “50 years of Canadian university sports” and University President Dr. Mike Mahon, a former CIS athlete and administrator, will serve as the guest speaker.

Among the 2012 inductees is the U of L Pronghorns women’s rugby program that won consecutive national championships in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Hall of Fame members, family, friends and the public are encouraged to join this annual celebration of sports history in Lethbridge. For more information, call 403-329-7328.

SIGNIFICANT AND MENTIONABLE

Dr. Gordon Hunter (left) and Dan Kazakoff

launched the Small Business Institute (SBI), the brainchild of Dr. Gordon Hunter and Dan Kazakoff, two management faculty members with several decades of experience between them in small-business consulting, management and education.

SMALL BUSINESS INSTITUTE Small businesses can be big business for southern Alberta – that’s the message two University of Lethbridge Faculty of Management researchers are sending as they launch a new

institute that will focus on the specific needs of small businesses.

On Tuesday, Jan. 17, the U of L and its Faculty of Management officially

The focus of the institute’s work will be on privately held small businesses, varying from startup operations to multi-generational ownership.

In addition to entrepreneurship and family-owned businesses, other aspects of their research will include franchises, non-participating

family members, succession and sustainability. The SBI is unique in that it will focus primarily on Lethbridge and southern Alberta businesses.

Both Hunter and Kazakoff expect a significant student benefit through the exchange of ideas with business people and faculty. In addition, new courses may be developed or existing courses modified to incorporate ideas that come out of the SBI research process.

To learn more about the institute, visit http://www.uleth.ca/management/SBI.

CA

Bridging Your bridge to an accounting career.

CA Bridging enables you to complete all the business and accounting courses needed for admission to the CA School of Business (CASB) while continuing to work full time.

Available at University of Lethbridge Calgary and Edmonton campuses:

Calgary.campus@uleth.ca www.uleth.ca/calgary 403-571-3360

Edmonton.campus@uleth.ca www.uleth.ca/edmonton 780-424-0455

A partnership between the Chartered Accountants Education Foundation of Alberta and the University of Lethbridge Faculty Of Management.

CA Br half-page colour Jan. 2012.indd 1

11/01/2012 10:33:48 AM

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University of Lethbridge founding president Dr. W. A. Sam Smith in 2007.

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Sam

Remembering

Dr. W. A. Sam Smith (1929-2012)

UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE FOUNDING PRESIDENT, DR. W. A. SAM SMITH (LLD ’90), DIED ON FEBRUARY 8, 2012, AT THE AGE OF 82.

Smith’s appointment as the first president of the U of L began on July 1, 1967. At the time, he was 37 years old and hailed from the University of Alberta, where he was a professor of psychology.

“The University of Lethbridge opportunity came along unexpectedly. It was a magnificent opportunity to be involved in the startup of a brand new institution,” said Smith five years ago, when interviewed as part of the U of L’s 40th anniversary celebrations. “The foundational memory from those years was of a small community of people involved in different activities – students, faculty, administrators – but committed to creating a place of learning.”

Those early days in the University’s history – a time Smith described as “radical, exuberant and wonderful” – have often been referred to as rebellious and maverick times. It was also a time of many milestones as the institution took shape and welcomed its first students, celebrated its first convocation and embarked upon what has so far been a 45-year journey.

“As president, I felt that it was my responsibility to lead in the creation of an environment where everyone could move toward their own career goals while the collectivity, the institution, was moving in the direction of its goals,” reflected Smith. “One of the things that I’m proudest about at the U of L is our success in those early days in making students real partners in the total operation – not just in the classroom, but also in the administrative and decision-making processes.

I felt then, and continue to do so today, that students bring with them unique understandings and perspectives.”

Although there were many great institutional victories, highlights and successes during Smith’s five-year presidency, the sense of community that lives on at the heart of the University of Lethbridge is his greatest legacy.

“I AM PROUD OF THE FACT THAT THE PEOPLE WHO COMPRISE THE INSTITUTION SEEM TO HAVE MAINTAINED A SPIRIT OF CARING RELATIONSHIPS. “ DR. W. A. SAM SMITH

“I am proud of the fact that the people who comprise the institution seem to have maintained a spirit of caring relationships.

My near obsession during my years there continues today: people matter ultimately and relationships are critical in any human endeavour.

If you can’t create a context in which people can know, work with, respect and care for each other, then, in my view, you have failed in your effort at institutional development.”

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INTRODUCING THE

Fiat Lux Ring “THE BEAUTY OF THE RING IS THAT IT SAYS EVERYTHING WE WANTED TO SAY. IT WILL BE VERY NICE TO HAVE SOMETHING ON MY FINGER THAT REMINDS ME, LET THERE BE LIGHT.”

P HOTO BY J AI M E VE DR E S ( BFA ‘ 0 7) P HOTO G RAP H Y

KATHY LEWIS

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S AM | So u t h e r n A l b e r t a M ag az i n e | U n i v e r s i t y o f Le t h b r i d g e

Kathy Lewis, University of Lethbridge Alumni Association president, with student Eric Klempnauer, who designed the Fiat Lux Ring.

Whether intricately crafted from precious metals and gems, delicately carved out of stone or meticulously woven of grass, the ring has become a familiar symbol worn throughout history, signifying everything from love and commitment to fellowship and achievement.

Drawing on these traditions, the University of Lethbridge Alumni Association (ULAA) is proud to announce the launch of the Fiat Lux Ring.

Only available to U of L alumni, the ring is cast in sterling silver and features the U of L shield’s fiery sun, bringing focus to the University’s motto, Fiat Lux – Let there be light. This unmistakable emblem links U of L alumni to the University and each other.

The ring is a culmination of several years of hard work. It began in 2008 when the Students’ Union approached the ULAA with the idea of an alumni ring.

“It just seemed to be the right idea at the right time. There was a nice mix of older alums and fairly recent graduates on the council and we all agreed that it was something that everyone wanted,”says ULAA President Kathy Lewis (BN ’83, MEd ’99).

“We sent out a call for designs and in the end we agreed on a beautiful design created by one of our students, Eric Klempnauer.”

Klempnauer, a second-year new media student at the time, was sitting in an introductory 3-D modelling class when he first learned about the competition in the fall of 2010.

“I designed the ring on a 3-D modelling program on the computer. It was my first experience with this and thought it would be good practice. I wasn’t really that serious at first because I didn’t think I would ever get chosen, but my friends kept telling me that it looked really good, that they would love to wear it. That was when it became quite a serious competition for me,” explains Klempnauer who, ironically, received word that his design had been chosen the following spring while he was sitting in an advanced 3-D modelling class.

“The design is something that isn’t too bulky so it works well for men and women. It is a simple band with slightly raised edges based on the design of University Hall and how the building seems to rise out of the coulees. I also felt it was important to use the motto and crest because they represent the University so well,” says Klempnauer. “I am looking forward to being an alumnus, especially now with the ring. I hope people are proud to wear it because it’s a reminder of your time here and the friends you made; it is a way of connecting, and staying connected, with other people.”

Lewis agrees, saying she believes that the ring is also a symbol of growth and maturity.

“We are 45 years old and over 33,000 alumni strong. The ring is an iconic symbol of a University that is coming of age. We have reached a critical mass and we are everywhere in the world. We want alumni to be able to identify each other by this ring on their fingers. We would like people to be curious and ask about the ring to create a worldwide awareness of the University,” says Lewis.

“The beauty of the ring is that it says everything we wanted to say. It will be very nice to have something on my finger that reminds me, let there be light.”

Fiat Lux Rings will be presented at a special ceremony on May 30.

For more information or to order your Fiat Lux Ring today, visit www.ulethbridge.ca/alumni or call 403-329-2582.

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EVENT TITLE SPONSOR

JOHN GILL GOLF Friday, ADJune 8, 2012

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Memorial Golf Tourna m e n t

1:30 p.m. Shotgun Start Henderson Lake Golf Course For more information: www.uleth.ca/alumni or call 403-382-7174

Birdies 4 Bursaries Thank you to last year’s sponsors:

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12-03-27 11:43 AM

2011/12

U OF L ALUMNI ASSOCIATION COUNCIL President Kathy Lewis BN ’83, MEd ’99 Vice-President Grant Adamson BSc ’03 Treasurer Jason Baker BMgt ’02 Secretary Sara Breedon BA ’08 Past President Don Chandler BASc ‘73 Directors Lanny Anderson BMgt ‘06 Bonnie Farries BA ’00, MA ’04 Greg Imeson BA ‘04 Randy Kobbert BMgt ‘86 Ted Likuski BEd ‘74 Sharon Malec BEd ‘73 Jeff Milner BFA ’06 Jan Tanner BA ’04, MA ’06 Board of Governors Rep Kevin Nugent BMgt ‘88 Senate Rep Rachel Caldie BMgt ‘07 Sharon Malec BEd ’73 Students’ Union Rep Zack Moline Graduate Students’ Association Rep Paul Walz Calgary Chapter President Brock Melnyk BMgt ’06 Edmonton Chapter President Shannon Digweed PhD ‘09 FNMI Chapter Chair Leroy Little Bear BASc ’72, DASc ’04 Contact us: The University of Lethbridge Alumni Association 4401 University Drive West Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4 Phone: 403-317-2825 Toll Free: 1-866-552-2582 E-mail: alumni@uleth.ca

UPCOMING ALUMNI EVENTS Calgary Alumni Reception May 29 | Big Rock Brewery | Join other alumni from Calgary for an event at Big Rock Brewery | Calgary, Alta. | RSVP by May 22 to alumni@uleth.ca | Sponsorships available Fiat Lux Ring Ceremony May 30 | Take part in the inaugural Fiat Lux Ring ceremony, where current and past U of L graduates will receive their alumni rings | The Aperture in front of the Students’ Union Building RSVP by May 23 to alumni@uleth.ca

John Gill Memorial Tournament June 8 | Henderson Lake Golf Club | Registration: $150 RSVP by May 28 to alumni@uleth.ca Calgary Alumni and Friends 10th Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament August 23 | Mackenzie Meadows Golf Club Registration: $175 RSVP to Jeff Wilson at jnwilson@arcresources.com

Alumni Celebration May 30 | In recognition of the 2012 Alumni Honour Society inductees | Students’ Union Ballrooms RSVP by May 23 to alumni@uleth.ca

45th Anniversary Alumni Homecoming Weekend October 12-14 | Alumni and friends of the University of Lethbridge are invited to return to campus for a weekend of Homecoming activities.

For a schedule of events or to register, visit www.uleth.ca/homecoming2012

Spring Convocation May 31-June 1 | 1st Choice Savings Centre

Fall Convocation October 13 | 1st Choice Savings Centre

University of Lethbridge Alumni Association General Meeting June 13 | AH100 (Anderson Hall) RSVP by May 30 to alumni@uleth.ca

For more information on these and other upcoming events, visit www.uleth.ca/alumni.

Alumni Benefits & Services As a graduate of the University of Lethbridge, you are a lifelong member of the Alumni Association. Stay connected to make the most of your membership.

Visit www.ulethbridge.ca/alumni.

LIKE our ALL NEW Alumni Fan Page at www.facebook.com/ULethbridgeAlum Follow us: @ULethbridgeAlum Join our LinkedIn group: University of Lethbridge Alumni, Students, Faculty and Staff 39

ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS

2012 Alumni Honour Society Inductees Introduced in celebration of the University’s 35th Anniversary in 2002, the Alumni Honour Society recognizes the achievements of successful alumni within the global community. The alumni inducted into this prestigious group have served as role models to our students and the broader University community through success in their vocation, outstanding community service or superior accomplishment in their avocation.

René Barendregt (BA ’71) René Barendregt has been a faculty member of the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University of Lethbridge since 1982 and took on the role of associate dean in 2001. Dedicated to his profession and respected by his peers, Barendregt’s work in the field of physical geography is currently funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada. In addition to his research, Barendregt has served the U of L community as a member of the Board of Governors, the Senate and the General Faculties Council.

Viola Cassis (BA ’97) Viola Cassis started her career in international humanitarian work with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), where she was instrumental in revising the organization’s guidelines on the prevention and response to sexual- and gender-based violence, and helped to develop policies to ensure genderequitable access to UN refugee interventions.

Cassis currently works with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and has been involved in various CIDA programs in Afghanistan. She has made field visits to Kabul and Kandahar to liaise with Canadian Forces, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, and other government agencies.

Marilyn Smith (BFA ’96) Marilyn Smith has more than 30 years of experience in the arts and culture sector and is currently the executive director of the Southern Alberta Art Gallery (SAAG). Since Smith took on this role in 1999, SAAG has increased revenue over 200 per cent, while membership, programming and sponsorship have also increased. Recently Smith oversaw renovations of SAAG and implemented a three-year strategic plan designed to capitalize on the new facilities.

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Last fall Smith was honoured with the 2011 Rosza Award for Excellence in Arts Management from the Rosza Foundation.

Gayle Strikes-With-A-Gun (BEd ’88) Raised on the Piikani Nation in southern Alberta, Gayle Strikes-With-A-Gun has been a leader in education for 25 years. After completing her bachelor of education, she worked as the project co-ordinator for the Four Worlds development project, an initiative aimed at helping Blood and Peigan women develop the skills and training necessary to prepare them for post-secondary education at the University of Lethbridge. Over the course of her career, she worked as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent and acting superintendent in schools across Alberta and in the Northwest Territories. In 2011, Strikes-WithA-Gun was elected the first female chief of the Piikani Nation where she remains committed to helping her people’s youth.

Bruce Thurston (BA ’78) With close to 35 years of experience in business, Bruce Thurston brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to his teaching role in the University of Lethbridge Faculty of Management. He is also currently the CEO and president at Management Resource Services, a company that provides management consulting and training in leadership development, organizational change, workforce diversity and staff development. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Thurston has generously served the community by volunteering his time with local organizations including the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce, the Society of Management Accountants of Alberta and the Southern Alberta Art Gallery.

Keith Walker (BASc ’79) As the director of Library Services at Medicine Hat College, Keith Walker is respected for the innovation and passion he brings to his profession. As the first college librarian to serve as president of the Canadian Library Association in the organization’s history, Walker successfully led a major review and restructuring that saw the organization’s first balanced budget in over a decade and a doubling of memberships. In 2003, Walker received the Community and Technical College Libraries Outstanding Academic Librarian Award and the Industry Canada Award.

The following year, he was honoured with the College and Technical Libraries Innovation Achievement Award.

S AM | So u t h e r n A l b e r t a M ag az i n e | U n i v e r s i t y o f Le t h b r i d g e

DR. KATHRYN PREUSS (BSC ’95) 2012 ALUMNA OF THE YEAR Kathryn Preuss first earned her reputation for academic excellence as a student at the University of Lethbridge where she was actively involved in research at the undergraduate level.

After graduating with distinction in 1995, Preuss completed a PhD in inorganic chemistry at the University of Waterloo. She is currently an associate professor at the University of Guelph.

Preuss works in materials science, an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. Often cited as an expert in the field, her research centres around materials essential to low-power data storage, sensors and other adaptive technologies.

Preuss currently holds a Tier II Canada Research Chair in the Chemistry of Molecular Materials.

Dr. Kathryn Preuss will be honoured for her outstanding academic achievements at the fall 2012 convocation ceremony.

ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS

A NEW LOOK FOR ALUMNI RELATIONS Alumni Relations is celebrating the University’s 45th anniversary with exciting alumni initiatives – the Fiat Lux Ring, a stronger social-media presence, a new alumni website and a new identity that celebrates the pride alumni have for their alma mater!

Starting now, University of Lethbridge graduates will identify with the new alumni logo that will set us apart in everything alumni see and do.

This is our U, and our U of L Alumni identity!

INTRODUCING THE

Fiat Lux Ring

In celebration of the University’s 45th anniversary, the University of Lethbridge Alumni Association is launching the Fiat Lux Ring.

Designed by current U of L student Eric Klempnauer, the Fiat Lux Ring embodies and invokes memories, traditions and pride that tie U of L alumni together. Cast in sterling silver, the band features the U of L shield’s fiery sun, bringing focus to the University’s motto, Fiat Lux – Let there be light.

The Fiat Lux Ring costs $249 + GST. Additional engraving, such as degree or year, can also be placed on the inside of the ring at an additional cost. If shipping is required, a $10 fee will apply.

For more information or to order yours today, visit www.ulethbridge.ca/alumni.

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ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS

(L-R) Peggy Gallop, Jay Smiljanec, Lynn Laventure, Doug Berry, Kathy Lewis and Ted Likuski.

SPECIAL DELIVERY The U of L Alumni Association, with help from Housing Services, delivered boxed gourmet cupcakes to residence students. Each box of cupcakes included a personal message from a parent or donor offering support and encouragement as the end-ofsemester exam crunch looms.

This first-time initiative was well received by both parents and students.

EDMONTON ALUMNI AND FRIENDS EVENT At the end of January, U of L alumni from the Edmonton area gathered at Transcend Coffee for two nights of coffee, chocolate and wine tasting. In attendance were members of the Edmonton chapter of the Alumni Association, U of L President Dr. Mike Mahon, along with other representatives from the University, and more than 70 alumni and friends.

(L-R): Brodie Pattenden, Mike Buryn, Jeff Wilson, Carolyn Seward, Brock Melnyk, Kimberly Kohlenberg, Des Nwaerondu, Shelley Miller, Dennis Laird.

CALGARY CHAPTER AGM The Calgary chapter of the Alumni Association held its Annual General Meeting in February. The chapter discussed and voted on an ambitious schedule of events and activities, as well as welcoming new members to the chapter.

The 2011/12 University of Lethbridge Alumni Association – Calgary Chapter Executive President Brock Melnyk BMgt ’06

Secretary Carolyn Seward BA ’09

Vice-President Jeff Wilson BMgt ’05

Directors Mike Buryn BMgt ’07 Kimberly Kohlenberg BMgt ’05 Dennis Laird BMgt ’10 Shelley Miller BMgt ’08 Brodie Pattenden BMgt ’09

Past President Georgina Lieverse BMgt ’07 Treasurer Des Nwaerondu BMgt ’10

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The TD Insurance Meloche Monnex home and auto insurance program is underwritten by SECURITY NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY. The program is distributed by Meloche Monnex Insurance and Financial Services Inc. in Quebec and by Meloche Monnex Financial Services Inc. in the rest of Canada.

S AM | So u t h e r n A l b e r t a M ag az i n e | U n i v e r s i t y o f Le t h b r i d g e Due to provincial legislation, our auto insurance program is not offered in British Columbia, Manitoba or Saskatchewan. *No purchase required. Contest organized jointly with Primmum Insurance Company and open to members, employees and other eligible persons belonging to employer, professional and alumni groups which have an agreement with and are entitled to group rates from the organizers. Contest ends on January 31, 2013. 1 prize to be won. The winner may choose the prize between a Lexus RX 450h with all basic standard features including freight and pre-delivery inspection for a total value of $60,000 or $60,000 in Canadian funds. The winner will be responsible to pay for the sale taxes applicable to the

Alma MATTERS 1960 John Kovacs BASc ’68 “After over 34 years with the public service in Alberta, I retired in May of 2010. I am now spending the winter in Mazatlan, Mexico, with my wife Colleen.”

1970

Let your classmates know what you are up to by sharing a note about your life.

Share your news with us by e-mail, phone or mail.

number of high-growth companies including Conference Hound, Plusmo, JT Wines and FloorPlanOnline.

Keltie Paul BASc ’77 “I retired and live in North Battleford, Sask.

I keep busy with the cottage out at Jackfish Lake, swimming, writing and active living.

I’m planning to return to western Kenya next year for an extended visit with local clinics and some not-for-profits.”

Sandy Umpleby MEd ’89 Having retired several years ago, Sandy teaches in the Faculty of Education at the University of Victoria. Her husband Dennis recently retired from his economic-development work with First Nations.

1980 Anil Pereira BMgt ’87 Anil is an Internet entrepreneur who currently serves as a senior advisor to a

Alumni Relations University of Lethbridge 4401 University Drive W. Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4 Toll-Free: 1-866-552-2582 E-mail: alumni@uleth.ca

Submissions chosen for publication may have been edited for length and clarity. The requested information is collected under the authority of the Alberta Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, for the purpose of managing the alumni records for use in University of Lethbridge publications. Questions concerning the collection, use and disposal of this information can be directed to University Advancement.

Back to Take a Running Jump, was recently published. Information at http://lornedaniel.com/poetry.”

John Nagy BASc ’71 John received a PhD from the University of Alberta in November 2011.

Lorne Daniel BASc ’75 “My Selected Poems collection, Drawing

WHAT’S NEW?

1990 Joan Guse BA ’92 “In September 2012, I will have been working for Children’s Services for 17 years.”

Jennifer Morrell BA ’92 “My venture into retail enterprise has come to a conclusion after 20 years and I just retired; GI Jen’s Army Surplus in Lethbridge has closed its doors.”

Doug Ford BMgt ’93 “I am currently a student once again at 62, taking an MBA in the Philippines.”

David Holland BMgt ’93 Dave helps run his family’s business, Professional Software Developers, which engineers, sells and supports the Dental Practice Management Software System, Gold Dental Management.

CAVILLA AND TEAM MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE Growing up in a family of 10, Dr. Ben Cavilla (BSc ’00), understands the concept of going without. He remembers watching documentaries about Doctors Without Borders and wanting to become a physician. Cavilla earned a bachelor of science degree from the University of Lethbridge in 2000, and while studying here his understanding of the needs of others expanded into a global perspective.

“One thing that really stands out for me at the University is the liberal education. I really took advantage of that and took a lot of different courses that opened my eyes to the diversity of people in the world. I think it prepared me to go into different countries and

be open, accepting and pliable to my approach, to be able to build an organization that was non-exclusive,” says Cavilla, one of three founding members of the Flying Doctors of Canada (FDOC).

FDOC was founded in 2006. It is a non-profit, volunteer organization of Canadian health-care workers whose mission statement includes “promoting and providing medical care and education and community development without regard for race, religion or nationality to those who are most in need.”

“We are currently negotiating on some land to build a permanent free clinic in El Salvador. Right now,

however, we are a mobile clinic.

We assemble volunteer teams of doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, translators and students (six each from the Universities of Lethbridge, Calgary and Alberta) and for several weeks each year we head into communities where medical help is not accessible,” explains Cavilla, who was on campus early this year to recruit student volunteers.

“Student volunteers are involved

in various construction projects including bio-sand projects for water purification, building eco-stoves and clinic construction,” says Cavilla.

“They also work in health education, and have the opportunity to shadow physicians, which gives them great experience. One of the biggest things we are trying to do with students is to get them to develop an appetite for humanitarian work early on, and it’s likely they’ll then be involved throughout their lives,” says Cavilla.

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Douglas Gurney BSc ’98 “I started working with Lucerne after graduating. Currently my role is in the field department where we grow peas and corn for processing.”

Miranda Senoussi BSc ’98 “I am the executive assistant to the Assistant Deputy Minister, Family Violence Prevention and Homeless Supports.”

Janna Casson BSc ’99 “After obtaining my bachelor of science from the University of Lethbridge, I worked for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge as a soil lab technician for a couple of years.”

2000 John Van Liere BMgt ’00 John started his accounting practice five years ago, then formed a partnership with Shelly Shaw, CA (BMgt ’02) in December 2009, which became Van Liere Shaw Chartered Accountants on July 1, 2011.

Jordan Ray BMgt ’02 Jordan, a Victoria native, has been named head golf pro at the Westin Bear

Mountain Resort’s two Jack-Nicklausdesigned golf courses.

and Enterprise, Liliana is married to Noel and has two children, Julia and Eli.

my wife, and website designer for BigFamilyMarket.ca.”

Nadine Eagle Child BA ’08 “I am employed with the U of L as the learning facilitator for the First Nations Transition Program (FNTP).”

Nicholas Baingo BMgt ’08 “After completing the bachelor of management program in Lethbridge, I continued on to get an MBA at the Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria and joined Xerox Canada.”

Kaleb Falk BSc ’09 “I moved out to Vancouver following graduation from the University of Lethbridge and am currently in my third year of medical school at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine.”

BJ Arnold BMgt ’04 “I manage the stakeholder engagement program for approximately $500 million worth of transmission projects in southern Alberta, and I was published as a co-lead character in a children’s book published

by Tilley School (Tilley, Alta.).”

Josh Van Deurzen BMgt ’04 “I recently joined Forbes & Manhattan, a private merchant bank, as a corporate and securities lawyer and legal consultant to various public and private companies in the resource-based sectors.”

Matt Walker BMgt ’05 “For the next two years I will be attending Queen’s University, working on a master of science in particle physics.”

Liliana Cordeiro BMgt ’06 A compliance officer with Alberta Finance

Jennifer Campeau BMgt ’08 Jennifer went on to obtain an MBA at the University of Saskatchewan and is currently a PhD student and newly elected Saskatchewan member of legislative assembly for Saskatoon-Fairview.

Courtney Link BASc ’09, MA ’11 “I have been hired as a games coordinator for the 2012 Alberta Summer Games, which are being held in Lethbridge July 26-29, 2012. Also, I am working as the mental skills coach for the athlete enhancement program at the Alberta Sport Development Centre.”

Jessie Jones BMgt ’08 “I am a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) candidate and am preparing to write the CHRP National Professional Practice Assessment exam in May.”

Dan Robley BMgt ’09 “I recently wrote the Uniform Evaluation (UFE) to become a chartered accountant and am waiting for the results.”

Jeff Meng BA ’08 Jeff is currently working in China.

Kean O’Shea BSc ’08 “I am the co-founder, along with

PARKINSON LAUNCHES PROMISING CAREER Thinking back, Emma Parkinson (BMus ’08), upand-coming mezzo-soprano with Opéra de Montréal, remembers growing up in a household filled with music.

“My older sister and I grew up playing piano, taking dance lessons and putting on little plays for our family. I loved it, the performing, the singing, the dancing, all of it really,” recalls Parkinson. “My parents always had music of all different genres going on in the house, but I actually hated opera when I was growing up. It was the one type of music that would make me run out of the room.”

Parkinson spent her high school years singing with the LCI chamber and jazz choirs. After graduation, she enrolled in music at the U of L, but remained unsure if she would enjoy studying solo voice until a summer workshop at the University of British Columbia turned her aversion of opera into a passion.

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2010 Kelley Baker BFA ’11 “I am currently working as a freelance designer and travelling the world.”

“It was a one-week workshop filled with people of all ages, many of whom were more advanced singers. My eyes were opened seeing all these different pieces of opera coming to life. It was at that point that I realized opera was such a perfect combination of theatre and music,” she says. “It just sort of came together for me and I remember thinking, ‘Wow, I really want to do that. I need to do that!’ ” It is a feeling that has stayed with her throughout her busy musical career. Parkinson graduated from the University with a bachelor of music in 2008. She earned her master’s of music in opera performance in 2010 from McGill University, during which time she starred in multiple operas and oratorio concerts. After her master’s she auditioned for a two-year young artist training program, Atelier Lyrique of Opéra de Montréal, one of only four such training programs available in Canada. She will complete the program with them in June. This summer she is excited to fulfill her first international professional contract in Berlin, where she will spend two months playing Mercedes in a new production of Carmen.

S AM | So u t h e r n A l b e r t a M ag az i n e | U n i v e r s i t y o f Le t h b r i d g e

Crystal Beaudry BSc ’11 Crystal is currently working in the Yukon doing baseline environmental field data collection for proposed mining operations.

Mackenzie Becker BASc ’11 “I will be moving to Hamilton, Ont., in September where I am hoping to do a master’s and PhD in psychology at McMaster University. In the interim, I intend to get into theatre and similar artistic endeavours.”

Brandi Hayman BA ’11, BEd ’11 “I recently married my boyfriend, whom I met during the first year we attended the U of L. We have moved to Manitoba for his work and I am taking a few months off from work to settle into our new home and get my Manitoba teaching certification.”

Kendall Roche BEd ’11 “I am currently substitute teaching with four local school boards and work with Lethbridge Family Services part-time, in addition to refereeing middle school and

high school basketball. I plan to teach overseas in the next five years.”

Amanda Tyndall BSc ’11 “I am pursuing a PhD in the Laboratory of Human Cerebrovascular Physiology. I have received the Achievers in Medical Science Recruitment Scholarship and a Queen Elizabeth II Award. I am very excited about my project and the program at the U of C.” Tanya Walker BSc ’11 “I have been working as a humanresources consultant specializing in labour relations in my hometown of Lloydminster, Alta./Sask. – Canada’s only border city.”

Arlene Westen Evans BFA ’11 “I am proud to announce the opening of my new art gallery (Evanescence Gallery and Art Studio) with my husband in High River, Alta.”

CAMPEAU REPRESENTS A NEW BREED OF ACCOUNTANT After graduating from the University of Lethbridge, Paul Campeau (BMgt ’04) began working on his chartered accountant (CA) designation while articling at Deloitte & Touche LLP in Edmonton.

Two years later, with a CA designation under his belt, Campeau travelled to Bermuda and Amsterdam, gaining valuable work experience in his field.

When he returned to Alberta, Campeau and business partner Will Henderson decided to open their own accounting firm, Henderson Campeau LLP, in Calgary, Alta.

Campeau and Henderson are balancing hard work, reliability, trust and excellent service with a passion for fun and determination to savour every moment.

In Memoriam JAMES WADE BFA ’11 James Wade (BFA ’11), a two-time winner of the U of L’s Play Right Prize, has taken second place in the Ottawa Little Theatre’s 71st National One-Act Playwriting Competition for his script Greetings from Sardineland.

The play is an exploration of art and censorship set in the offices of a comic-book publisher.

As an award recipient, Wade is invited to Ottawa in May to work with Lois Brown, resident dramaturge of Playwrights Workshop Montreal, along with directors and actors from OLT, to mount public readings of the

The University of Lethbridge wishes to extend its sincerest condolences to the families and friends of the following members of the University community:

winning plays. The readings take place on Saturday, May 26 in Ottawa Little Theatre’s Janigan Studio.

Greetings from Sardineland won the 2011 U of L Play Right Prize and received its first public reading in the U of L’s David Spinks Theatre.

Rod Osiowy MEd ’99 Passed away on August 19, 2010

Ronald Leclair BEd ’78 Passed away on December 28, 2011

Mavis Todd BEd ’76 Passed away on October 3, 2011

Edward Dworak BEd ’75, DPE ’80 Passed away on January 20, 2012

Ralph Thrall Jr. LLD ’99 Passed away on October 28, 2011

Kanda Benaschak BMgt ’04 Passed away on January 21, 2012

James Mustard DASc ’07 Passed away on November 16, 2011

W. A. Sam Smith LLD ’90 President Emeritus Passed away on February 8, 2012

Kathy Allsop BN ’89 Passed away on November 21, 2011 Judith Gschaid BA ’92 Passed away on December 3, 2011 Adrienne Murphy Mgt Certificate ’94 Passed away on December 9, 2011

Phyllis Catherine Wernick (née Oborne) BEd ’78 Passed away on February 15, 2012 Gabrielle Marie-Jeanne Ragan BEd ’72 Passed away on February 16, 2012

Dolores Daychief Mgt Certificate ’92 Passed away on December 26, 2011

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HOMECOMING October 12-14, 2012

The University of Lethbridge is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year and is inviting all alumni and friends back to campus for Homecoming 2012, a weekend of lectures and lunches, tours and talks, dinners and dialogue.

We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate all that is the U of L – past, present and future. For more information or to register, visit www.ulethbridge.ca/alumni/homecoming.

Publications Mail Agreement No. 0040011662 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: University Advancement University of Lethbridge 4401 University Drive W. Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4