LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE APPLIED RESEARCH 2017-18
APPLIED RESEARCH AT LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE 2017-18 REPORT
LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE APPLIED RESEARCH 2017-18
READY TO RESEARCH, READY TO INNOVATE It is my pleasure to introduce you to applied research at Lethbridge College through this, our inaugural applied research report for 2017-18. Lethbridge College has an emerging research portfolio, is ranked in the Top 50 research colleges in Canada, and, with an annual research budget of $1.6 million, has provided valuable support this year to 64 industry partners. It has been an exciting and productive year for researchers, staff and students. We have seen the launch of our new entrepreneurship and innovation program, called AgENT; received our first Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council institutional grant; expanded the Centre of Applied Research and Innovation by building our research support team; started new Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council-funded projects; and introduced our strategic research plan to the college community. In addition to showcasing the college’s established research programs and providing a quantitative overview of our achievements this past year, this publication also highlights the people behind the research at Lethbridge College and the problems they are working to solve. Looking just below the surface shows a rich research ecosystem. Many faculty are actively engaged in innovative and meaningful research with diverse topics, such as early childhood development, poverty and postsecondary students, transgender children, haskap berries, aquaponics and variable rate irrigation, virtual reality in wind turbine training, public safety, and outdoor play and physical literacy. Learning more about our researchers not only provides an introduction to understanding what motivates their work, but also illustrates how students are engaged and benefit from their experiences as well as the impact of their work on industry, business and our region. I hope you enjoy learning more about Lethbridge College and our applied research and researchers in the pages of this publication. If you’d like to learn more, please visit lethbridgecollege.ca/CARI. Thanks for reading!
Dr. Kenny Corscadden, PhD, PEng, FIET Associate Vice President – Research, and Dean of the Centre for Technology, Environment and Design Phone: 403-320-3202 ext. 5223 Email: kenny.corscadden@lethbridgecollege.ca
1
Introductions and invitations I am proud to introduce you to the team members who are making connections in the applied research field at Lethbridge College. This past year, we created a new model for the sustainability of our applied research portfolio by amalgamating multiple research projects, involving more students in research, creating an overall research strategy and hiring Dr. Kenny Corscadden as the associate vice president for research. This new approach has resulted in an environment where faculty, students and researchers have been thriving and affecting change in areas that align with their expertise. This work relies on meaningful partnerships with industry collaborators, funders, community members and external researchers, and we are pleased to work together to have a positive impact on our students, our economy, our community and our social fabric. In the pages of this report, I invite you to dive in and learn more about our projects and – most importantly – our commitment to and celebration of our researchers, students and partners. Dr. Samantha Lenci Provost and Vice President Academic Lethbridge College
ABOUT THE ICONS Each icon represents one area of research at Lethbridge College. However, many projects are cross-disciplinary, so stories will include icons to represent all the different areas of the college taking part in a particular project. Agriculture, Food and Environment
Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities
Business and Technology
Justice and Public Safety
Health and Wellness
ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION This is the inaugural issue of Lethbridge College’s Applied Research Annual Report. Created by the college’s Communications, Marketing, and Applied Research and Innovation departments, this publication intends to inform, educate and intrigue readers with stories and photos about the people working on a diverse range of important applied research projects underway at Lethbridge College. For additional copies, email WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca or appliedresearch@lethbridgecollege.ca. • • • •
Publisher: Dr. Paula Burns Executive editor: Dr. Kenny Corscadden Editor and writer: Lisa Kozleski Designer: Gregory Thiessen
• Writers: Paul Kingsmith and Dawn Sugimoto • Photographers: Rob Olson, Gregory Thiessen and Stephanie Savage
2
LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE APPLIED RESEARCH 2017-18
SEEKING MICROBIOLOGY SOLUTIONS From an early age, Dr. Sophie Kernéis had a curiosity about the living things surrounding her home in the idyllic south of France. Now this microbiologist, whose doctoral work focused on how virulent E. coli affects human cells, finds herself in southern Alberta cattle country, where a different strain of that bacteria is always a concern. Kernéis has a master’s degree in cellular biology with a focus on microbiology, and a PhD in microbiology from the University of Paris XI, France. Before coming to Lethbridge College, she worked at ISREC (Swiss Institute of Cancer Research), Switzerland, and spent about a decade as a tenured research scientist at the prestigious Pasteur Institute in Paris. Her doctoral thesis focused on different strains of E. coli, but she’s now interested in learning more about how to control E. coli 0157:H7, the strain endemic in cattle and potentially harmful to humans. She’s also keenly aware of changes coming to the livestock industry. In December 2018, Health Canada will change the way livestock producers can access antibiotics for their animals. The new rules are tied directly to addressing the global concern about antibiotic-resistant infections. Kernéis’ recent research effort, the Antibiotics Alberta Plant Project, was inspired by that same concern. With support of a Centre for Applied Research and Internal Fund (CARIF) grant, the project is entering its third year, and involves
Kernéis and her colleague Leanne DuMontier, lab technician, along with student research assistants, working together to test native prairie plants for antimicrobial properties. Whatever applied research accomplishments she makes in the future, she has already left a lasting mark in her field. Her post-doctoral work was considered an “impossible task,” creating an in vitro model of membranous cells found in the Peyer’s patch, structures that act like lymph nodes along the small intestine. While the rest of the surface cells work to keep pathogens out of the digestive system, the Peyer’s patch allows microbes to enter to activate the lymphoid cells that will neutralize the threat. Peyer’s patch cells were first identified in the 1670s. In the more than 300 years that followed, science had no way to create a cellular model of these membranous cells for research purposes. By introducing Peyer’s patch lymphocyte cells from a mouse to the human Caco-2 cell line, Kernéis was able to create in vitro M-cells, through a process now used by scientists around the world. Her work was featured in Science magazine in August 1997. In other research and with help from DuMontier and student research assistants, Kernéis tested the Manz Engineering Ltd. biosand water filtration system for effectiveness removing coliform bacteria; and she worked with Quarical Products Inc. testing the efficiency of ionized water at removing E. coli bacteria from surfaces.
5 0
2013-14
2014-15
2015-16
Teaching staff
2016-17
2017-18
3
Research staff
Applied Research Funding 2013-18 1,800,000
Applied Research Funding 2013-18
Lorem ipsum
Dollar amount
1,600,000 1,400,000 1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 600,000 400,000 200,000 $ 2013-14
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18
(cash and in-kind industry contributions)
Fiscal year Tri-council
Provincial and municipal gov’t
Contracts and service
Internal college funds
Endowments
Industry
MEET… ROB SONNENBERG Phoenix Haskaps partnered with Lethbridge College and Chef Rob Sonnenberg to develop methods to preserve haskap berries. This small purple fruit grows in Alberta and look like elongated blueberries, taste like a cross between blueberries and raspberries, and have thin, delicate skins. Their perishable and delicate nature requires that much of the fruit be processed or preserved. Sonnenberg, who is also the principal investigator on an NSERC Engage Grant and the lead organoleptics researcher on a five-year NSERC CCI-IE grant, has worked with assistant Shaelynn Bordyschuk to dry the berries using lower temperatures than those typically used to commercially dry fruit. The lower drying methods resulted in a superior product that could be used whole or as powders. Dried haskaps and “haskap raisins” could be used in baked products, cereals, green salads and trail mixes. Haskap powders could be marketed as a health supplement and used in smoothies, meringues and more. His future research could investigate freeze drying haskaps, and he sees value in undertaking nutritional comparisons of freezedried haskaps and low temperature, heat-dried haskaps.
4
LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE APPLIED RESEARCH 2017-18
5
READY TO SHAPE THE FUTURE He’s been referred to as the Yoda of aquaponics, and with good reason. Senior research scientist Dr. Nick Savidov has been involved in aquaponics research for more than a decade and a half and has been a pioneer in the field, placing Alberta at the forefront of this developing industry. Savidov’s other research projects include studies in the aerobic digestion process as well as work with biochar, a fine-grained, highly porous charcoal that could prove to be an effective option for micro-nanofiltration in aquaponics.
6
LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE APPLIED RESEARCH 2017-18
THE ADVANTAGES OF ADVOCACY Dr. Jennifer Davis’s applied research is literally saving people’s lives. As part of an eight-member team of scholars across Canada, Dr. Davis is studying the emergence of the transgender child and the role of parent politics and social change. Their fiveyear project, which has been funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Insight grant since 2017, is aimed at helping to improve people’s understanding and awareness about what trans children need and how to support them. The work is important, Dr. Davis explains, “just because of the dramatic difference you can make in these children’s lives simply by creating an environment that is accepting for them.” Rates of suicide, suicide attempts, bullying and physical violence directed against trans children are “astronomical,” Dr. Davis adds. “This is an extremely vulnerable population, one that has not until recently really been understood at all. Any inroads we can make to help people understand what these children need and how to support them – well, it can literally save their lives.” Research suggests that strong parental support dramatically reduces transgender youth’s risk of self-harm and suicide. The challenges parents and caregivers face in supporting and advocating for a transgender child, however, are immense. Dr. Davis and her colleagues have embarked on a national study of parent advocates of
transgender children and youth, with the goal of explaining both advocacy success and the ongoing challenges. The group is also creating new networks, organizational links and templates for practice within Canadian communities where parents are advocating for their children. “For parents,” she says, “unless they are trans themselves, it’s a huge thing to get your mind around, and there is a lot you need to learn really quickly to best support your child. It can be really hard to find the information and resources you need to educate yourself. Most parents genuinely want to do what’s best for their child but unless they have access that information, it can be challenging. But the number 1 predictor of how well a child is going to do is family acceptance and support. It makes a dramatic difference.” Transgender children began to emerge in the Canadian public eye in 2013 when several originally independent initiatives simultaneously got underway in several parts of the country. In the space of a few short months, parents began speaking to the media, creating support networks and lobbying to have laws changed. Resource mobilization theory and political process theory offer partial explanations for this sudden burst in activity, Dr. Davis explains, but a shift in emotional response has also played a vital role. Many parents have moved from a position of anxiety, that gender non-conformity was a problem produced by parenting, to a position of parental pride.
7
Academic Year
Unpaid
Paid
2013-14
235
17
2014-15
316
17
2015-16
707
22
2016-17
564
15
2017-18
824
19
students involved in research
MEET‌ SHAYLENE WALL Since 2007, Shaylene Wall has been a faculty member at Lethbridge College, where she has had the opportunity to apply her multi-disciplinary background in Anthropology, Archaeology, Sociology and Psychology to her teaching and research. With a diploma from Lethbridge College, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Lethbridge, and a Master of Arts in Archeology from the University of Southampton in England in 2006, Wall has previously studied prehistory, art and representation, gender and culture. In 2014, Wall embarked on a joint scholarship of teaching and learning project studying the relationship between student personality, program choice and student success. More recently, she became the college’s lead investigator on a collaborative project with the University of Lethbridge studying poverty and its effects on post-secondary students. Together, both institutions will have the opportunity to inform policy-related decisions and institutional planning as well as expand the scope of the study by sharing the results to multiple partners both locally and regionally.
8
LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE APPLIED RESEARCH 2017-18
Ready to innovate.
9
READY TO DIG IN Dr. Willemijn Appels, Lethbridge College’s first Mueller Applied Research Chair in Irrigation Science, specializes in projects that help farmers who rely on irrigation develop even more efficient and productive farms. Her current research projects include using soil moisture observations and simulations to optimize drip irrigation systems in southern Alberta; studying the sensorbased scheduling of irrigation applications for potatoes under variable rate or other precision irrigation; and evaluating the impact of landscape variability on plant water demand and irrigation scheduling.
10
LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE APPLIED RESEARCH 2017-18
CHANGING MINDSETS WITH HEADSETS A new teaching tool at Lethbridge College is creating opportunities and connecting students in profound ways. For some, it takes them to the top of a gusty wind turbine tower. For others, it sweeps them away to the scene of a horrific car crash where they have to put the skills they’ve learned in the classroom – whether as an emergency responder, a police officer or a member of the media – to the test. Still others use it to immerse themselves and their clients into the house of their dreams, showcasing the details and design touches that distinguish their work. It’s a tool that sounded like science fiction just a generation ago (although it was starting to be used for training and simulations even back then). But today, at Lethbridge College, students can put on a headset and step into a new world – the world of augmented, virtual, mixed and extended reality (also known as AR, VR, MR and XR). They can acquire experiences that typically would take years and countless miles to accumulate, and apply it to the lessons they are learning in the classroom. For Gord Bourgoin (pictured above), an instructor in the college’s Electrical Apprenticeship and Wind Turbine Technician programs, virtual reality in the classroom has brought the wind turbine experience down to earth. “VR provides the opportunity for students to explore a wind turbine that is otherwise not logistically possible for the class,” says Bourgoin. “A review of other research shows that VR provides increased safety and improved learning and retention.”
Bourgoin took his first step into the world of applied research in 2015, when he and fellow Wind Turbine instructor Chris DeLisle applied for one of the college’s internal research grants to study the use of VR scenarios to improve student learning and safety in the Wind Turbine Technician program. While they didn’t receive a full grant, they did receive funding to create a proof of their concept. That funding let Bourgoin, DeLisle and their colleagues buy the cameras, mounts, a computer and an Oculus Rift system as well as other equipment needed to move forward with developing their VR vision. With this new equipment, they captured 360-degree images of a wind turbine. They then collaborated with colleagues in the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Innovation to create a 360-degree tour that could be used on tablets and computers in the fall of 2016. “We were, however, lacking the expertise to create a true VR experience, and so in the spring of 2017, we approached Mammoth VR in Calgary about taking our project to full VR,” says Bourgoin. With additional support from the college, Mammoth VR (which is owned by Lethbridge College alumnus Matt Wright) completed the VR tour in June 2017, and the college has been using that tour ever since. Bourgoin and DeLisle see many opportunities for continued research, including creating “new training scenarios that align with assigned tasks in the wind turbine technician shop course.” There seem no limits to the opportunities VR offers to Lethbridge College students in any of the eight programs currently using VR technology in the classroom.
Grant Proposals Submitted to Granting Agencies 2017-18
Grant Proposals Submitted to Granting Agencies 2017-18
NSERC 6 SSHRC 1 CFI 1
11
Alberta Gov 2
Applied Research Partnerships 2017-18
Large enterprises (>500 employees) NGOs
Applied Research Partnerships 2017-18
Small and medium enterprises (<500 employees) 39
3
Grant Proposals Su Granting Agencies
3 9
Government
7-18
SSHRC 1
MEET… MIKE MCCREADY
CFI 1
Number of research projects 2013-18
Number of projects
25
2013-18
20
With nearly two decades of experience as a multimedia professional, Mike McCready is now leading the 15 way in latest emerging technology industry - virtual reality. McCready, a 1999 graduate of the college’s 10 Multimedia Production program and an instructor at the college, helped organize and launch the 5 world’s first full-day conference held in VR, Merging Realities, held at Lethbridge College in April 2018. 0
2013-14
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18
Number of staff
McCready is the Alberta chapter president of the Faculty and Staff in Applied Research VR/AR Association and spoke at its Global Summit 40 in Vancouver in September 2018. He is now studying 35 VR as an education medium; looking at VR’s ability 30 25 to change the conference and event industry; 2016-17 2017-18 20 identifying if VR can adjust views of exercise and 15 10 change fitness habits; and using VR to adjust Endowments Industry Internal college funds 5 racial biases. There are extensive 0 opportunities 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 for applied research opportunities in VR at the college, McCready says, and he looks forwardTeaching to Research staff staff collaborating with colleagues on campus and around the world in this exciting, quickly evolving field. Applied Research Funding 2013-18 1,800,000
Lorem ipsum
lar amount
1,600,000 1,400,000 1,200,000 1,000,000
N
Alberta Gov 2
12
LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE APPLIED RESEARCH 2017-18
READY TO INQUIRE Dr. Faron Ellis has led the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Citizen Society Research Lab (CSRL) for nearly two decades and as CSRL Research Chair since 2016. Dr. Ellis, who has twice been honored with the Lethbridge College Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association and Faculty Association Teaching Excellence Award, engages Lethbridge College students in applied research projects by integrating research into their course work. As principal investigator of CSRL research, Ellis has authored over 150 public opinion research reports.
13
14
LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE APPLIED RESEARCH 2017-18
VIRTUAL LEARNING OPENS REAL DOORS Imagine if you’d never washed your own clothes and have just walked into a laundromat. Where do you get soap? How do you start the machine? Where do you get coins? Now take those small anxieties and multiply them hundreds of times with countless different everyday activities. It’s the sort of institutionalization that can affect long-term prisoners upon their release. “If a person went into prison as a teenager with a life sentence, by the time they’re ready for parole, they could be 40 or 50 years old and may not know what life is like on the outside,” says Aaron Eyjolfson, chair of Lethbridge College’s School of Human Services. “What if you could use virtual reality to show them what to do and actually help prepare them for conditional release?” It’s just one of countless ideas that Eyjolfson has on how virtual or augmented reality (VR) could be used in the fields of corrections, criminal justice and victimology. As a former parole officer, he found his interest in the field was piqued by the work of those around him. “It was basically osmosis,” says Eyjolfson, pointing to a number of Lethbridge College colleagues as his VR inspirations. How VR applied to his field came into focus while attending a post-graduate course in Croatia in 2017. “A professor from England was speaking about a victim services app,” says Eyjolfson. “I asked ‘have you considered the potential applications of virtual reality to help victims?’ She said, ‘no, I haven’t.’ And that was it.” It was Eyjolfson’s “aha moment.” He was invited back to Croatia in May 2018 as a guest lecturer at the XXXIV International Postgraduate Course of
Victimology, Victim Assistance and Criminal Justice. He was able to have five of his Justice Studies – Bachelor of Applied Arts program students join him and he spoke about potential uses of VR in victimology. He envisions using VR to show cyberbullies how their actions affect victims. He thinks it could help teach young males about boundaries and positive masculinity. He would like to use 360-degree video to show the inner-workings of Lethbridge’s safe consumption site. “I want to work with experts from other centres on a project for the Centre for Justice and Human Services,” he says. “And, I want to involve students because they love it.” Eyjolfson’s enthusiasm in Croatia has led to opportunities back in Canada. Impressed by his presentation, Public Safety Canada’s National Office for Victims has invited him to speak at a roundtable in Ottawa. Among the discussion topics is offender reintegration, which combines his expertise from his career as a parole officer, his passion for public safety and his developing interest in new technologies to help guide the conversation around victimology and criminology. “This opportunity brings my career full circle,” says Eyjolfson. “How we get to public safety is not by locking people up, it’s by helping people get better, and we need to continually look at new ways to do that.” Meanwhile, back at the college, Eyjolfson plans on making this virtual project a reality. “I’d love to pick an idea and get it done. I’m looking forward to bringing some of these ideas to completion.”
1 CFI 1
Number of research projects 2013-18
Number of research projects 2013-18
Number of projects
25 20 15 10 5 0
2013-14
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
Alberta 15Gov 2
2017-18
Number of staff
Faculty and Staff in Applied Research 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0
MEETâ&#x20AC;Ś SHEILA FRENCH 2013-14
2014-15
2015-16
Lorem ipsum
Dollar amount
Teaching staff
2016-17
2017-18
Research staff
Sheila French, an instructor in the Correctional Studies and Bachelor of Applied Arts in Justice Studies programs, has Research launched aFunding collaborative research project focused Applied 2013-18 on using interactive journals to help people in correctional centres make positive 1,800,000 and lasting life changes. French is working with student researchers Anna Schwark 1,600,000 and Jesse Lambert as well as Ryan Mueller, deputy director of programs at the 1,400,000 Lethbridge Correctional Centre and a college grad, to find ways to reduce the risk of 1,200,000 reoffending. The Courage to Change project also involves the Nevada-based Change 1,000,000 Companies and the Alberta Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General. 800,000 600,000
At400,000 the start of the project, a team of more than 15 contributed to a field200,000 test design for the journals at the $ 2013-14 2015-16 Lethbridge Correctional Centre. Next, 2014-15 128 incarcerated people participated Fiscal year in the journaling program during a Provincial and municipal govâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Contracts and service Tri-council 16-month period, and, Schwark and Lambert learned about and conducted data collection from all 128 clients. They also oversaw the data analysis, learning about changes made in thinking about crime and about recidivism. The project is now in the dissemination stage, as French and her colleagues work on a final report, present at conferences and publish their findings.
2016-17
2017-18
Internal college funds
Endowments
Industry
16
LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE APPLIED RESEARCH 2017-18
READY TO INNOVATE In 2015, Lethbridge College received a five-year, $2.1 million grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to undertake its Integrated Fish and Plant Systems project. This research addresses critical issues relating to the production of aquaponics, including food safety, consumer acceptance and economic return on investment. The talented team working on this project includes Dr. Nick Savidov (read more on p. 5); John Derksen, chair of the Aquaculture Centre of Excellence (ACE); Dr. Zied Khiari, research scientist; Clay Boyes, ACE facility manager; and Penny Takahashi, ACE research technician; all of whom are working together and leading the way in this exciting industry.
17
18
LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE APPLIED RESEARCH 2017-18
PLAY IS THE PRIORITY Sometimes Bora Kim will hear a knock on her window while she’s sitting in her office. As she turns around, she’s greeted by the smiling faces of children from Lethbridge College’s Hands-On Early Learning Centre, stopping by to say hi while enjoying their outdoor play area. It’s a great way to brighten her day, but it is also an invaluable resource as she researches the early childhood education field. In late 2017, the centre replaced all of its outdoor plastic toys with natural, loose-parts materials such as wood, rope, hay and pipe. Kim had a literal front row seat to observe the children as they explored their new environment. “They engaged in their own play on a much deeper level,” says Kim, an Early Childhood Education instructor and researcher. “They were able to test their ideas, lead their own play and had so much freedom to choose what they wanted to do. It contributed to their creativity, self-confidence, critical thinking, problem solving, social competence and physical development.” Kim is an advocate for introducing loose-parts, unstructured and risky play into the lives of children, and has found a perfect environment at Lethbridge College to conduct that research. The college’s outdoor play space is undergoing a transformation to become a one-of-a-kind environment. Once finished, the outdoor play experiences of the children who attend the campus daycare will be documented over time. Those results will be used for applied research studies, making Lethbridge College the only program in Canada with a certified outdoor play space for teaching, learning and research.
“We certainly have great access to the outdoor play environment that will lead to more applied research activities,” says Kim. “It also gives us the opportunity to more easily involve our students in the research.” Kim and her colleagues will also have expanded capacity to test products for industry. Everything from playground equipment to clothing to landscaping can change the way children play and develop. “I’ve recognized how important it is to include industry partners in this research,” says Kim. “They need access to quality research and expertise and to know how their products are affecting the children and their families. It will then help them promote their products and innovation, which will benefit the whole community.” Kim began her Early Childhood Education studies at Silla University in her native South Korea, before coming to Canada to do complete her Master’s degree in Child and Youth Study at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. It was there that she took part in a research project led by Dr. Beverlie Dietze, looking at children’s outdoor play in Nova Scotia. “The research questions that arose from the community just inspired me,” says Kim, who is working towards her PhD from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. “There is still so much to learn about this field and what I can do to further support children, their families and the community.” And if she needs more inspiration, all she has to do is look out her window.
Number of
15 10 5 0
19 2013-14
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18
Number of staff
Faculty and Staff in Applied Research 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0
2013-14
2014-15
2015-16
Teaching staff
2016-17
2017-18
Research staff
Faculty and Staff in Applied Research
Applied Research Funding 2013-18 1,800,000
Lorem ipsum
Dollar amount
1,600,000
MEET… SIMON SCHAERZ 1,400,000 1,200,000
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000 $
Exercise Science instructor Simon Schaerz knows and cares a lot about movement – whether 2013-14 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2014-15 he’s coaching the Kodiaks long distance runners on improving their form or studying what Fiscal year happens when children don’t move enough. Finding ways to get young people moving more Endowments the Industry Provincial and municipal gov’t Contracts and service Internal college funds understand is Tri-council the focus of Schaerz’s PhD dissertation, where he is looking to better bioecological factors that influence childhood physical activity engagement. Physical activity among Canadian children is at an all-time low, Schaerz says, and that reality can lead to health troubles later in life, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mental health challenges. In the summer of 2018, Schaerz worked with Lethbridge College’s summer camps to collect data for his study of what influences the ways and reasons children are active. He would like to see his research lead to interventions and programs that will help address childhood physical inactivity.
20
LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE APPLIED RESEARCH 2017-18
AgENTS OF CHANGE Lethbridge College’s Agricultural Entrepreneur in Residence (AgENT) program inspires innovative thinking and an entrepreneurial spirit through foundational skill development. Students involved in AgENT have the opportunity to be agents of change in the agricultural industry. As part of this extracurricular program, which is open to all college students, participants collaborate with mentors – individuals working in the industry – as they tackle real problems facing our industry partners. Student entrepreneurs work with the mentors throughout the academic year to develop solutions to their problems. In the spring, the college hosts a competition where the student entrepreneurs pitch their solutions and the best solutions are recognized. AgENT allows Lethbridge College students to take advantage of an incredible opportunity to work closely with industry mentors to build skills in innovation and entrepreneurship – all while working toward solutions for southern Alberta’s vibrant agriculture community.
21
THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF COR VAN RAAY Lethbridge College launched its Agricultural Entrepreneur in Residence program in 2018 thanks to an earlier generous $2.5 million gift from Cor Van Raay to Lethbridge College. This gift, which was used to create the Cor Van Raay Agribusiness Program, is intended to develop graduates who reflect the dynamic and changing careers within the agricultural industry, and to nurture a new generation of agricultural workers who have both savvy business acumen and strong science skills. “With this gift, I am saying we need in the future very good farmers who know how to market their crops and who know how to work the futures market,” said Van Raay. “They need to know about all the things that a businessman in town needs to know – plus they have to know about how to put the seeds in the ground. I thought there was a real need – not just for farmers but for people who work on the business side. There is a shortage of people who have a real passion for agriculture and who want to go that route. We need to raise more kids thinking agriculture is something good.”
MEET… MEGAN SHAPKA Megan Shapka, program coordinator for AgENT, joined Lethbridge College in 2007. Her diverse work experiences have given her a unique skill set and deep knowledge of the college’s programs. While working with the Learning Experience Design Team, she wrote and edited over 100 online courses. She often jokes it feels like she has completed dozens of diplomas. Now, in her new position, she’s eager to show students, by example, that your career doesn’t have to follow a straight path. With creativity and a willingness to take chances, you can build a rewarding journey. When she stepped into her new role, she joined the highly collaborative Regional Innovation Network of Southern Alberta. There are incredible supports for innovators and entrepreneurs in our community and Megan says she’s excited to be a part of it. She’s also incredibly grateful to the local ag community for getting on board with AgENT from day one.
22
LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE APPLIED RESEARCH 2017-18
GET TO KNOW OUR FACILITIES Lethbridge College researchers, students and partners can take advantage of working in a variety of state-of-the-art research spaces. Here’s a glimpse of what visitors can find on campus (in addition to an amazing view of our southern Alberta coulees, of course!). The Aquaculture Centre of Excellence (ACE) includes a 3,000 sq. ft. greenhouse and a 500 sq. ft. laboratory. Diverse research projects at ACE continue to facilitate partnerships with many private, government and non-profit organizations. Existing equipment located in ACE includes a biosecure isolation facility, water recirculation equipment, water quality testing equipment and a molecular laboratory. A 7,000 sq. ft. Innovation Space in the college’s new Trades and Technologies Facility houses the Netafim Fertigation Unit located in large soil boxes (each 3m x 6m x 1,2m) which are used by our irrigation researchers. The XR/VR lab, also located in the Innovation Space, contains VR headsets and computers. The Organoleptic Lab has the capacity to hold study participants to undertake sessions to evaluate the sensory properties of food items. The Microbiology Lab hosts teaching labs for microbiology, chemistry, physics, water quality, cell biology, and biotechnology, in addition research done by the Antibiotics Alberta Plant Project. Equipment in the lab includes microscopes, NIR spectrometer, fume hoods, and other analytical equipment. The Bel-Aire Virtual Welding Room houses the college’s virtual welder. The Mobile Virtual Wind Turbine is located in the Trades and Technologies Facility and gives students the experience of being on top of or inside an actual wind turbine. The Citizens Society Research Lab conducts public opinion polls from the Instructional Building Commons Call Centre on campus. The Outdoor Play Space is used by the Hands-On-Early Learning Centre to enrich children’s learning experiences, but it also expands opportunities for the faculty members to conduct applied research. The space has been renovated to increase capacity as a nationally recognized, certified outdoor play space for teaching, learning and research (read more on p. 18).
23
24
LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE APPLIED RESEARCH 2017-18
MEET THE APPLIED RESEARCH TEAM Dave McMurray, MA Research facilitator Phone: 403-320-3202 ext. 5799 Email: david.mcmurray@lethbridgecollege.ca As the research facilitator, McMurray assists faculty and staff in project development and grant writing. He has an MA in history and has worked at the college since 2009, primarily in roles related to applied research. He is married to Melanie, and together they have three grown children - one of whom is a graduate of the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Criminal Justice program, and another who is currently in the Engineering Design and Drafting program. In his spare time, McMurray remains active in academic research where he focuses on the history of sport and leisure in Canada. Whenever he can, he likes to pursue his passion for mountaineering.
Dustin Fraser, B.Sc. Administrative assistant Phone: 403-320-3200 ext. 5751 Email: dustin.fraser@lethbridgecollege.ca As administrative assistant, Fraser provides administrative support to research operations at Lethbridge College. Fraser has had the opportunity to work in a few departments at the college since starting in 2015, finding his home in Applied Research this past year. Fraser grew up in Kimberley, B.C., and he is an alumnus of the University of Lethbridge, holding a degree in Neuroscience. In his free time, Fraser enjoys playing the soprano saxophone and board games, watching science fiction films and spending time with his adorable Siamese-tabby cross kitten, Navi.
25
SUPPORTING OUR TEAM The work of the team in the Centre for Applied Research and Innovation is supported by many people throughout the college and in the community, including our executive leadership team and deans of our six centres: • Debra Bardock, Dean of the Centre for Health and Wellness • Dr. Paula Burns, President and CEO • Dr. Kenny Corscadden, Dean of the Centre for Technology, Environment and Design • Jaclyn Doherty, Dean of the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Innovation • Simon Griffiths, Vice-president of Corporate Services • Dr. Tim Health, Dean of the Centre for Applied Arts and Sciences • Dr. Samantha Lenci, Vice-president Academic and Provost • Coreen Roth, Vice-president of People and Planning • Dr. Jeanine Webber, Dean of the Centre for Justice and Human Services • Cal Whitehead, interim Dean of the Centre for Business, Trades and Apprenticeships We are also grateful for the work and support of other campus colleagues, including: • Andy Benoit, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research lead • Abe Fast, financial reporting analyst, Finance • Melanie Hamilton, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research lead • Charles McArthur, senior advisor for strategic initiatives, President’s Office • The Lethbridge College Communications team • The Lethbridge College Marketing and Web team
MEET… DR. JEANINE WEBBER When Dr. Jeanine Webber came to Lethbridge College last year to start work as dean of the Centre for Justice and Human Services, she brought a host of diverse and industry-leading justice studies applied research experiences with her. From completing program evaluation projects within “real world” community settings, to focusing on community policing, crime prevention, effective correctional practices and social justice, Dr. Webber has distinguished herself by putting the theories of her discipline into practice through applied research. Webber explains that “applied research provides practical and realistic solutions to challenges our community partners face as they are trying to build stronger, safer and healthier communities.” In her role as dean, she will support the industry-leading curriculum and research already underway in her centre, while identifying new opportunities in these fields – while ideally improving the quality of life for those affected by the centre’s research projects.
26
LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE APPLIED RESEARCH 2017-18
50
CANADAS TOP
RESEARCH COLLEGES
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT APPLIED RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AT LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE? WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. Centre for Applied Research and Innovation 403-320-3202 ext. 5799 appliedresearch@lethbridgecollege.ca lethbridgecollege.ca/cari
403.320.3202
3000 College Drive S. Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6
lethbridgecollege.ca