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University of Lethbridge4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4

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Every dollar to SOS makes a difference

Jennifer Penner is recognized by Health Sciences

Dr. Henning Bjornlund is shaping our water policies

Kathryn Preuss honoured as Alumna of the Year

The U of L Legend is published monthly during the academic year by the communications unit within University Advancement. Submissions, comments and story ideas are always welcome. The Legend reserves the right to refuse any submitted advertisement. The Legend can be found online at issuu.com/ulethbridge.

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CREDITSEditor: Trevor KenneyDesigner: Angelsea Saby

CONTRIBUTORS:Amanda Berg, Suzanne Bowness, Bob Cooney, Jane Edmundson, Natasha Evdokimoff, Abby Groenenboom, Erica Lind, Suzanne McIntosh, Kali McKay, Leslie Ohene-Adjei, Stacy Seguin, Katherine Wasiak and Jamie Woodford

BY TREVOR KENNEY

Of everything that sets the University of Lethbridge apart from other post-

secondary institutions, its deeply-rooted relationship with First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) peoples, and specifically the Blackfoot nation, is intrinsically unique.

The University can justifiably take pride in being among the first universities in Canada to include a major in Native American Studies among its liberal education com-ponents. It can also take pride in the extensive range of innovative academic programs, research and creative activity related to FNMI peoples developed across Faculties, coupled with active student services support programs.

And yet there are gaps in those supports and incongruences across campus in the delivery of academic programming related to Aboriginal Peoples.

In September 2011, President Mike Mahon asked professor Dr. Leroy Little Bear, Roy Weasel Fat (Red Crow Community Col-lege vice-president academic) and professor Dr. Jane O’Dea to develop an overarching strategy that would create support for FNMI students, faculty, staff and community mem-bers at the University of Lethbridge.

The FNMI Report to the President (available at www.uleth.ca/president/fnmi) was the result, and the development of an FNMI Centre, of which Weasel Fat is now the interim director, is a key recom-mendation of the report.

“Like all Native centres in Alberta, it’s basically focused around student support – what can the centre provide in terms of supporting students so that we can improve their retention and comple-tion rates,” says Weasel Fat.

A master’s degree holder in edu-cation and major player in establish-

ing the current relationship between the University and Red Crow College (he served 17 years there, most recently as the vice-presi-dent academic), Weasel Fat speaks to the importance of education in bet-tering the Aboriginal community.

“Once the parents become educated, then it’s an expec-tation for their children, and that helps bring our people out of that cycle of poverty.”

ROY WEASEL FAT

“Education is the most recog-nized path to reach self determina-tion,” he says.

“There are many people from my generation who are going back to school and their kids will follow and also become educated. Once the parents become educated, then it’s an expectation for their children, and that helps bring our people out of that cycle of poverty.”

He understands better than most that this cannot be accom-plished without the proper support systems for Aboriginal students and the FNMI report identifies seven major recommendations to help achieve that goal.

From the creation of a Niitsitapi Gathering Place to the establish-ment of an Elders Program and Aboriginal Education Policy, the report is closely aligned with the University’s 2009-2013 Strategic Plan.

One aspect especially impor-tant to Weasel Fat is the involve-ment of band elders.

“When we looked at other cen-tres across B.C. and Alberta, what I noticed was that there was very minimal elder involvement,” says Weasel Fat. “This is something our students have asked for and one of the mandates of the FNMI Centre, to increase the elders’ presence here so that they can be available to the U of L community.”

He describes the role elders play in traditional Blackfoot communi-ties as integral.

“Their role in the community is to act as traditional mentors, to provide spiritual support and to keep our history and culture alive,” he says.

Weasel Fat sees the Niitsitapi Gathering Place as a community room that would benefit the entire University.

“There is a lot of Aboriginal activity across campus through programs in virtually every Faculty but a centre like this can provide a venue for dissemination and col-laboration of research for those who are working in these areas across the University,” he says.

Weasel Fat speaks quietly, but with an eagerness that is genuine in its belief. He is a product of what an education can achieve, and he has passed those lessons on to his family through his example. He recently had two sons graduate from the U of L (Roy Jr. BA ’12 and Cy BA ’11) and quickly move into mana-gerial roles on the Blood Reserve, while his daughter Triscia is a fourth-year student and looking to enter the Faculty of Education next fall.

“When I first started out in education, my first instinct was to go back home and help my people,” he says.

“Education has been of benefit to my own family as well as my community and I will continue to promote education to our commu-nity plus share the Blackfoot culture with the U of L.”

Drawing on experience

Roy Weasel Fat, the interim director of the FNMI Centre, sees education as a means to self determination.

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Nicholas Hanson (Drama) had a busy summer. He had three scholarly articles pub-lished: Back to the Books: Evaluating the Economic Fac-tors Behind Literature-based Theatre for Young Audiences Productions; iTYA = i: Assess-ing the Fair Market Value of Young People; and Spendor and Improvising Realism. He also participated in a presentation on the use (and misuse) of techno-logical devices in the teaching of performing arts disciplines at the Canadian Association for Theatre Research conference in Waterloo and was elected to the executive of the Canadian Association for Theatre Research.  

Glen MacKinnon (Art) and James Braithwaite have an exhibition entitled All You Can Eat at the Trianon Gallery in Lethbridge.

Helen Kelley (Management) earned the Synchro Alberta award for Official of the Year at the recent Aquatic Conference in Calgary.  She was recognized for being a level 2 judge who dem-onstrated knowledge of provin-cial and national rules, policies,

philosophies, and programmes; an official who is continually learning and expanding their knowledge of synchro, shar-ing that knowledge with other officials, athletes, coaches and volunteers; and an individual who has given quality officiating at the provincial level.

Les Dawn (Art) is present-ing Articulations: Pursuing the Modern – Art from 1800 to 1970 at the SAAG on Tuesday evenings throughout October and November.

Dr. Glenda Bonifacio (Women and Gender Studies) is a finalist in the Distinguished Professional category of the Lethbridge Family Services – Immigrant Services Immigrant Achievement Awards. The Im-migrant Achievement Awards bring awareness to the valuable contribution of immigrants within our community. The third annual awards ceremony takes place Nov. 8 and will hon-our 11 finalists in six categories of achievement. Bonifacio is originally from the Philippines.

Mark Richards (Music) has recently had two articles

accepted for publication in 2013. Sonata Form and the Problem of Second-Theme Beginnings will appear in the British journal Music Analysis, and Trans-forming Form: The Process of Becoming in the Scherzo of Beethoven’s String Quartet, Op. 59, No. 1 will appear in Indiana Theory Review.

Dr. Danny Le Roy (Eco-nomics) has been appointed a Senior Research Fellow at the Fraser Institute, an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization. The focus of Le Roy’s research is on livestock production, marketing and trade, emerging markets for irrigation water in

southern Alberta and the impact of renewable energy policies on Canadian agriculture

The Accidental Humour Company*, made up of U of L alums, brought Son of Dwarf to the University Theatre last month. *Founding members of the company include: Brent Felzien (BFA ’06); William Banfield (BFA ’06); CIiff Kelly (BFA ’07); and Kim Stadelmann (BFA ’06).

Daniel Wong (BFA ’03) and Mary-Anne McTrowe (BFA ’98; U of L Art Technician), perform-ing as The Cedar Tavern Singers AKA Les Phonoréalistes, have an exhibition opening at Car-leton University Art Gallery on Oct. 15. Titled, The Cedar Tav-ern Singers AKA Les Phonoré-alistes’ Art Snob Solutions Phase III: At the Hundredth Meridian. At the opening, the Cedar Tav-ern Singers are performing See you at the CUAG, which they wrote to celebrate the gallery’s 20th anniversary. The exhibition runs until Dec. 16.

The start of a new academic semester is always full of activity but it seems to have been espe-cially busy on campus this fall.

One of the added respon-sibilities for units throughout the University was the introduc-tion of a new budget process and budget cycle. As a result, what was once a September to March cycle has been amended to an April to October schedule, putting us in the midst of the budget process as a new semester opened.

Just recently, a new open forum concept was introduced to the University community at which department and unit heads from across campus spoke to their strategic priorities and

how they fed into their budget-ing decisions.

This was our first attempt at creating a more transparent pro-cess and it was good to see the many people who attended seg-ments of the forum or watched via the web from our Calgary and Edmonton campuses.

We are in a time where budgets will be challenged and it is important for us to have as much transparency as possible as we manage our way through the process, trying to do the best job we can of maximizing our resources as we move the University forward.

For the University com-munity to see what factors are at play in establishing budget

priorities is an integral part of understanding the process as it relates to the whole of campus.

By now you will have heard of the appointment of our new Board of Governors Chair, Mr. Gordon E. Jong. I am very enthusiastic to welcome Gord as the new Board Chair. His breadth of experience in the post-secondary setting, includ-ing the six years he previously spent as a U of L board member as well as his role as Board Chair at Lethbridge College, is very important from a governance and management perspective.

As well, given Gord’s back-ground as a chartered accoun-tant, his expertise is especially welcome as we navigate the intri-

cacies of the budget process.I thank outgoing Board

Chair Bob Turner for his decade of service to the University. Throughout his time as a board member and then as Board Chair for the past six years, the U of L experienced some very significant growth and develop-ment and we are all very thank-ful for his contributions to that success.

As I think of successes, I can’t help but get excited about the Fall Convocation ceremony. It is at times difficult not to get bogged down in the day-to-day activities of the University, dealing with the ebb and flow of budgets and other challenges. But at the end of the day, convo-

cation brings everything back into perspective because it is why we are here.

Each convocation is a har-vest for the University, where we get to enjoy watching the latest crop of graduates cross the stage and set out on their varied career paths. This fall’s ceremony, in the U of L’s 45th year, is even more special as we celebrate a Homecoming 2012 and get an opportunity to thank past Presi-dent Bill Cade as he returns to campus to be recognized with an honorary degree.

What a great way to cel-ebrate the ongoing progress of the U of L.

OPENMikeUniversity of Lethbridge President Dr. Mike Mahonchats about what’s happening in the University community

CAMPUS kudos

Taras Polataiko’s exhibition Sleeping Beauty at the National Art Museum in Kyiv, Ukraine, has generated considerable media interest worldwide. What initially started out as an interactive performance art exhibit with live streaming video has stirred up a firestorm of international com-mentary that includes critical praise, some apprehension, a possible copycat and at least one newfound romantic relationship. For the rest of the story: www.uleth.ca/finearts/news/2012/09/instructors-exhibition-receives-international-attention

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Gordon E. Jong, CA, a Lethbridge-based chartered accountant with a long-standing relationship with the University of Lethbridge, has been appoint-ed by the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta as the ninth Chair of the University of Lethbridge Board of Governors.

Jong (BSc ’80, BMgt ’82) is a former member of the University of Lethbridge Board of Gover-nors (2006 to 2012) and a 2004 U of L Alumni Honour Society Inductee. He is also a successful Lethbridge businessman, start-ing Jong & Company – a local accounting firm.

Community work has been a staple for Jong throughout his career. He has served as Chair of the Board of Governors at Lethbridge College, treasurer of the Southern Alberta Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect; Lethbridge Jaycee’s Club; president of the Rotary Club of Lethbridge; and treasurer of the Rotary International Peace Park Assembly.

U of L President Mike Mahon says Jong epitomizes the success and contribution that U of L graduates are making.

“Gord’s success in business and his commitment to his com-

munity is emblematic of a U of L graduate,” says Mahon. “He is an example of the differ-ence our graduates are making in their communities through the leadership positions they assume.”

“The University of Lethbridge has always been a special place for me,” says Jong. “I am very proud of the fact that the U of L has emerged as one of Canada’s leading teaching and research universities. I am equally proud that while the U of L remains true to south-ern Alberta’s needs through its teaching and research activities,

that it has emerged as a destina-tion university for students from across the province, country and around the world.”

“I am looking forward to once again joining a very dedi-cated group of volunteers on the U of L Board of Governors.”

Jong assumes the role of Chair from Bob Turner, Q.C., who has served in the role for the past six years.

The Jong family boasts close linkages to the U of L. Jong is married to Elizabeth Martin Jong (BMus ’81). The couple has two children, Terrah (BA ’05) and Christopher.

The University of Lethbridge is excited to announce the appointments of Dana Corbin and Nicholas Lang’at as manag-ers of the Calgary and Edmonton campuses respectively.

Within the past two years, both campuses have made sig-nificant moves to better meet the unique needs of students in these areas.

The Calgary campus entered into an agreement with Bow Valley College in 2011, mov-ing into BVC’s newly renovated downtown North Campus. The move builds on the efforts of both institutions to collaborate and provide better access to post-secondary education in Calgary.

Corbin (BMgt ’05) is a University of Lethbridge alumna who graduated with Great Dis-tinction. She achieved immediate success in the busi-

ness world, working for Venture Communications and Arlene Dickinson of Dragon’s Den fame. Her positive experiences at the U of L led her back to the Univer-sity where she took on a role as a student assistant, eventually becoming a leading academic advisor.

Corbin and her team were

recipients of the AUPE Presi-dent’s Award for Service Excel-lence in 2011, recognizing their substantial effort in the campus move to Bow Valley College. Since that time she has been in the role of acting campus man-ager and will now assume the campus manager position on a permanent basis.

“Dana brings a wealth of U of L experience to her position and we are excited that she is tak-ing the next step with us,” says Acting Assistant Dean, Northern Campuses Lorne Williams. “Her energy and enthusiasm are con-tagious and will serve her well in this new position.”

The University recently held the official opening of its new Edmonton campus at Concordia University College of Alberta, giving Edmonton students the campus atmosphere that was not

possible at its previous location.Lang’at comes to the U of L

from the University of Alberta where he was most recently the Faculty of Arts governance officer. Previously, Lang’at worked in housing and student services and was instrumental in providing quality service to the U of A student body while foster-

ing a community atmosphere.His experience will serve

him well as the new partnership with Concordia allows the U of L an unprecedented opportunity to better meet the wants and needs of its Edmonton students.

“Nicholas is a definite bridge builder and his skill set will foster positive collaboration with Concordia University College of Alberta,” says Williams. “He brings a diverse background, gained from more than one post-secondary institution, that will serve the Edmonton student base very effectively.”

Lang’at began his post-secondary career as the assistant registrar at Moi University in Kenya where he was charged with recruiting and marketing initiatives.

The University of Lethbridge joined ATB Financial officials at the new Highlands Cross-ing branch in west Lethbridge on Oct. 5 to announce ATB Financial’s support of the newly established ATB Financial Small Business Institute Speaker Series.

A $36,000 investment will help launch the series, which will see industry leaders and researchers visit communities throughout southern Alberta to share their knowledge, insights and experiences on topics related to small business.

“This gift demonstrates ATB Financial’s commitment to education, research and the busi-ness communities of southern Alberta,” says U of L Faculty of Management Dean Dr. Bob Ellis.

“The new speaker series will help forge ties among the small busi-ness community, ATB Financial and the University of Lethbridge, resulting in strong partnerships that benefit southern Alberta business.”

The widespread delivery of the speaker series is what makes the program so unique. Presen-tations from industry leaders and researchers will be made throughout southern Alberta, with a special focus on reach-ing rural communities. The first series event is Nov. 21 in Pincher Creek, with subsequent talks to follow in Vulcan, Medicine Hat, Cardston, Brooks and Lethbridge.

“One of the things we love most at ATB Financial is being

able to help small businesses suc-ceed,” says Rob Smith, vice-pres-ident, ATB Financial South. “At ATB, we like to think we know Alberta and Albertans better than any other financial institu-tion. With that in mind, it’s ex-

citing to partner with the U of L’s Faculty of Management for the ATB Financial Small Business Institute Speakers Series. Hav-ing established small business leaders share their knowledge and experience with the rest of

southern Alberta can only make our local economy stronger.”

Led by Small Business Institute directors, Dr. M. Gor-don Hunter and Dan Kazakoff, the series will be of interest to those currently involved or con-sidering an investment or career in small business.

“The focus of our investiga-tions is on privately held small businesses, varying from start-up businesses to those that are multi-generational,” says Hunter. “The small business is the life-blood of many rural communi-ties and it’s this unique focus of the Small Business Institute that makes its findings so relevant to the Lethbridge and southern Alberta area.”

University welcomes appointment of Jong as Chair

CORBIN, LANG’AT ASSUME NORTHERN CAMPUS MANAGER ROLES

SMALL BUSINESS INSTITUTE JOINS ATB IN LAUNCHING SPEAKER SERIES

The U of L’s ninth Board Chair, Gordon E. Jong.

Dan Kazakoff, left, Rob Smith of ATB Financial and Dr. M. Gordon Hunter.

Dana Corbin Nicholas Lang’at

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Supporting student awards can cost less than your daily coffee.

University of Lethbridge Bookstore Manager Annette Bright is as connected to stu-dents as anyone on campus. A staff member at the U of L for 30 years, she has always worked closely with students, first as a staffer in the library and then as a textbook buyer and now manager of the bookstore.

She thoroughly enjoys her connection to students, and it gives her an insight into their lives and the struggles they face.

“The relationship between students, faculty and staff here is like a family. Students come to us for advice or just to say hi, and we get to share in their accomplishments,” she says.

It bothers Bright when she hears of students not being able to realize their potential because of the financial barriers they encounter.

“I get to know a lot of students and I hear about their struggles,” she explains. “Often they can’t afford food, rent or their course materials. It’s trou-bling when they tell me they can’t afford their books.”

In 2005, the Supporting Our Students (SOS) campaign was initiated in response to those challenges. An annual campaign for faculty, staff and retirees, the SOS campaign allows the U of L community to support student awards.

Bright says she quickly saw value in the program and her involvement with SOS has gradually increased over the years.

“More and more people

around became involved with the campaign,” says Bright, “so I started giving and volunteering. It’s the easiest thing to do.”

Through her daily duties in the bookstore, she is often reminded of how important her donations can be to a student.

“I think about SOS the most when I see how much a student’s books can cost,” she says. “That’s when I really hope the student is getting the benefit of a scholarship or bursary.”

Bright isn’t shy about her support of the SOS campaign, and her enthusiasm is conta-gious. She’s quick to point out

that gifts to SOS need not be large, especially if more of the campus community comes together to support SOS.

“Every dollar counts,” she emphasizes. “Some people say, ‘I can’t give enough.’ But if ev-eryone on campus gave even $5 a month, we could help so many students!”

And, Bright reminds us, $5 is less than many of us spend on coffee even in one day.

For more information on Supporting Our Students or to make your contribution today, visit www.uleth.ca/giving.

Every contribution counts

Bookstore manager Annette Bright sees the benefits of the SOS campaign in the students she encounters.

LIBERAL EDUCATION COURSE PILOTED BY RRP

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The Spring 2013 term will see the University of Lethbridge offer a new course targeted at first-year students, helping them to become aware that they are part of commu-nities that are here to benefit and support their endeavours.

LBED 2850: Mapping Self, Career, Campus, Com-munity is a trial course that was developed by the Aca-demic Success - Achievement and Learning Resources sub-ject matter team, a subcom-mittee of the Recruitment and Retention Planning (RRP) Committee.

Mapping is at the heart of this course. Exposure to this topic from a variety of perspectives will encourage students to better understand themselves, the University and what the surrounding community of Lethbridge has to offer them. Course presenters are a who’s who of past and present renowned instructors and service providers, including Dr. Leah Fowler, Dr. Leroy Little Bear, Dr. Mary Runte, Pat Tanaka and Dr. Shelly Wismath to name a few.

The course will delve into a variety of topics, from campus ghost stories to the Blackfoot territory, mapping yourself, mapping your career and service learning. It is also designed to get students out of the classroom by explor-ing and mapping the campus and discovering just what

it has to offer. This experi-ential approach is aimed at building a cohort of students and encouraging campus and community citizenship. Students will then return to the classroom to map their experiences, making use of a variety of approaches, digital and otherwise, to illustrate what they have learned.

The course is designed to help students with the transition to university life by providing active learning about community resources, including those that will sup-port their success through to graduation. Students will visualize relationships they have and then use mapping as a context to share those rela-tionships with others. Every-thing in the course is geared to help students develop both academically and personally.

In the end, the goal is to have students realize that they don’t need to leave campus on weekends and head to Calgary or go back home to have posi-tive experiences. Instead, they can be fully engaged here at the University.

Dr. Jan Newberry, 2011 Board of Governors’ Teaching Chair will lead the course and is excited about the opportu-nities it presents.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

GREAT BIN Thanks to a donation

from Haul-All Equipment Systems, the University of Lethbridge campus now sports one of the flashiest trash bins around.

The company was look-ing for an opportunity to test out a new method of wrap-ping its well-known contain-

ers with logos or artwork, and with alumnus Kelly Philipp (BMgt ’97) as Haul-All’s vice-president and CFO, U of L pride came into play.

“I’m just really proud to be an alumnus of the Univer-sity and I thought being our 45th year, this was a great way to celebrate this milestone,” says Philipp. “Plus, I abso-lutely loved the design.”

Of the 200 new student awards established at the University of Lethbridge in the last five years, 100 were initiated or supported by faculty and staff. With your help, we can continue giving financial support to deserving students.

For more information or to make your gift today, visit www.uleth.ca/giving.

Sign up for payroll deduction online at www.uleth.ca/bridge/sos and start your monthly pledge today.

Kelly Philipp (left), with the two people who built and painted the new celebratory 45th Anniversary edition of the Haul-All hide-a-bag container, Jon VanDerkooi, fabrication specialist and Jorge Solor-zano, paint specialist.

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Horns’ alumna sees giving back as a natural act athletics AT T H E U

A celebration of Pronghorn Athletics brought the commu-nity to the 1st Choice Savings Centre gymnasium last month – one that may kick-start many more celebrations to come.

The inaugural Pronghorn Scholarship Breakfast, held the morning of Sept. 25, had a straightforward goal of rais-ing money so that the program could increase its scholar-ship pool and subsequently its chance of attracting more elite student-athletes to the U of L. All the while, it also served as an excellent community-building exercise.

“I think for the first year, it went really well, at least that’s what we’ve been hearing from

the feedback,” says Robb Engen, the manager of business devel-opment for Sport and Recreation Services. “Guest speaker Brian Williams was outstanding, he was entertaining and at the same time hit on some very important messages, such as the value of university sport to a commu-nity.”

About 250 people attended the inaugural event and Engen is already busy looking ahead to the second annual breakfast.

“We want to build off of this momentum, so we’ve already started the search for next year’s speaker and we’d like to finalize a date as soon as pos-sible,” he says. “I talked to a lot of small business owners who

maybe bought one or two tickets this year but they’ve already indicated they’d like to buy a full table next year.”

Holding a breakfast event was a first for the Horns and the format seemed to go over well with the supporters.

“It’s a little bit different for us but I think it’s gone over well. We’re able to give everyone a good breakfast, an entertaining speaker and have them back at the office by 9 a.m.,” says Engen. “There are so many evening and weekend events out there that we felt this was a great way to reach the community without people having to commit any more time.”

Horns athletes served as greeters and guides both outside the venue and on the gym floor, something that attendees appreciated.

“One thing we learned from this was that we need to reach out to our community much more frequently, not just one or two times a year, but consistent-ly,” says Engen. “They want to be a part of our program, they like the interaction with the athletes because it gives them a connec-tion to who they are helping through their support.”

Guest speaker Brian Williams pre-sented an entertaining and heartfelt talk to the more than 250 people who attended the Sept. 25 event.

BY STACY SEGUIN

Head coach of the University of Lethbridge women’s

rugby team, Neil Langevin (BA/BEd ’91, MEd ’10), describes former player and team co-captain, Amanda Riley (nee Richardson, BMgt ’10), as “a superstar whose leadership as an athlete has continued on as an alumna.”

Therefore it was no surprise when Langevin asked Riley to head an alumni committee for the rugby program that she tackled the task with the same energy and enthusiasm she once used on the field – even in the face of serious health challenges she encountered soon after graduation.

“In 2011, I was diagnosed with Still’s disease, which is a rare form of rheumatoid arthri-tis. Being an athlete, I was used to aches and pains and when I started getting achy and hav-ing problems I thought it would go away but it didn’t. I have learned a lot from it and I don’t take things for granted; I am even happy to do laundry now because for a while there I was having trouble just walking,” laughs Riley. “When I was play-ing rugby, Neil always focused on the power of positive think-ing. I think that is one of the really important things I gained from playing on the team. Through everything I have had a positive mindset. It has helped me overcome when my feet did not work for me – and now I am back to exercising and even run-ning a bit.”

With her husband often working out of town, Riley had a tremendous amount of support from her family and friends,

especially fellow rugby alumni. It is this shared encouragement and sisterhood, as well as a pas-sion for the game, that inspires Riley to continue her involve-

ment with the University’s rugby program.

“I initiated some committee meetings last year, inviting local alumni I thought would be interested in helping out. This

year we held the first annual Garden Party to raise funds for the program. Because we are strictly a girls’ team, we wanted an event that was not a

typical dinner. We invited all of the alumni and told them to bring their moms, aunts, sisters, grandmas, anyone they thought would be interested in com-ing,” says Riley. “It was held at a

private residence overlooking the coulees. We wore sundresses and sunhats, had appetizers (provid-ed by this year’s team) and the coaches and team manager came and served us champagne. It was really nice to meet the current athletes. Now we know who they are when we come and cheer for them at the games.”

Money was raised through ticket sales, a silent auction and a 50/50 draw. Bobby Zaremba, a former rugby parent, arranged for Scotiabank to match funds raised through their Bright Future program. The event brought in $9,527, which will be used to support Horns rugby.

“As a former athlete I am extremely happy with the sup-port that we received from other alumni and community mem-bers. Financially it will give them more opportunities because it supports their general fund. I have heard some of the current athletes can’t wait to have their

own garden party when they are alumni so we have succeeded in generating interest in support-ing the program down the road,” says Riley, who is excited to give back to the program that gave her so much.

“Sometimes it was really difficult as a student-athlete, because I had to balance work, school and rugby, but my profes-sors were so good to work with and playing on the rugby team gave me such great opportu-nities,” she says. “I was able to grow as an individual and develop my leadership and com-munication skills. I learned a lot of invaluable life lessons. The girls I played with have become like family to me. I don’t think I could put a dollar value on what I got out of the program.”Amanda Riley, pictured here in her playing days with the Horns women’s rugby program, initiated an alumni

garden party that netted nearly $10,000 for the program.

The inaugural event appealed to a wide range of Horns alumna, friends, family and supporters of the program.

G E T T H E FAC T S

•Riley played for the Horns from 2005 to 2009 and was a five-time Canada West All-Star and three-time CIS All-Star

•During her time with the Horns, she was on three national championship teams and was a three-time Academic All-Canadian

• She currently works as a staff accountant at KPMG Lethbridge and is articling to be a chartered accountant

INAUGURAL PRONGHORN SCHOLARSHIP BREAKFAST ESTABLISHES MOMENTUM

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BY SUZANNE BOWNESS

To say Jennifer Penner wears many hats would be an understatement.

She’s the team lead and nurse clinician at Lethbridge’s Heart Function Clinic/Heart Failure Network, a regular guest lecturer in University of Lethbridge nursing classes and an advocate for more connected and patient-centric health care. Yet, at heart, her professional scope is unified by a very per-sonal philosophy.

“The thing that has inspired me is the connection with patients and families, and the ability to deliver excellent care in such a way that it will empower people to live better lives,” says Penner.

“I love having an influence on promoting clini-cal excellence and building the future of nursing.”

JENNIFER PENNER

Clearly Penner has passed that inspiration along to others. This year, her longstanding contribu-tions are being recognized with the 2012 Friends of Health Sciences Award, an annual honour from

the Faculty of Health Sciences that recognizes an individual or agency that has made a significant contribution to health education and research at the University of Lethbridge.

Originally from Bow Island, Alta., Penner completed her initial nursing education at Medicine Hat College and her bachelor of science in nursing degree at the University of Alberta. She has spent most of her 25-year career in southern Alberta. Today, Penner supervis-es five nurses at the Heart Failure Clinic, as well as leads the rela-tively new and forward-thinking Heart Failure Network, which she helped to create in 2008.

By encouraging greater col-laboration between diverse roles such as case managers, acute care workers and even family doctors, the network integrates health services among these practitioners and increases their awareness of their roles relative to their colleagues, and even more significantly, to the patient.

“When we understand what everyone’s role is, the patient in the middle gets better benefits and outcomes,” says Penner.

With an estimated 500,000 heart failure patients in Canada and more than 80,000 in Alberta alone, the significance of this work becomes even more apparent. At 10,000 admissions per year, heart failure is one of the most common diagnoses for medical admission to hospital, says Penner.

“It’s a huge chronic disease.

That’s why we need an approach that’s far reaching to promote better care, better outcomes and wise utilization of health-care resources.” She adds that greater integration tends to increase patient stability, which cuts costs by reducing the burden on busy emergency rooms and contrib-utes to fewer admissions to acute care facilities.

On top of her leadership in the Heart Failure Network, Penner also shares her expertise with the next generation of nurses, a commitment that began in 2003. Today, she lectures for several fac-ulty members in both nursing and

research courses, grounding her talks about heart failure in actual case studies that the young nurses-in-training are likely to encounter early in their careers.

“Lecturing is near and dear to my heart,” says Penner. “I love having an influence on promot-ing clinical excellence and build-ing the future of nursing.”

She also helps students gain experience by connecting them with practical work experiences in clinics, and helping with other real-world skills such as cardiac assessment.

While Penner is clearly motivated by factors beyond

awards and accolades, she says she is “deeply honoured” to be recognized by the University of Lethbridge, noting that her work in the academic setting has helped her realize her own personal potential.

“It is so rewarding to be collaborative, to work with the esteemed professionals at the University and to experience the infectious vitality of new nurses. It motivates me and inspires me to be better.”

The Friends of Health Sci-ences Award reception is Sat-urday, Oct. 13 at 2 p.m. in the Markin Hall Atrium.

Dr. Andy Hakin has posed the question, and now we look forward to the discussions that will ensue.

The second annual Fiat Lux Address was the purview of Hakin this time around, after President Mike Mahon gave the inaugural address in 2011. And from the outset of Hakin’s presentation, the provost and vice-president (academic) made one thing abundantly clear – he was going to initiate a dialogue about liberal education and not conclude one.

“My intention today is to ask questions,” said Hakin. “There’s no solution here – if you’re looking for a solution you’re at the wrong talk.”

Weaving a narrative that first spoke to the need to dif-ferentiate the University within the province’s post-secondary landscape, Hakin paid hom-age to some of the institution’s founders such as Drs. Owen

Holmes and Luke Stebbins. He referred to conversations he’d had with former Provost Dr. Seamus O’Shea and Dr. Chris Nichol as he shaped is opinions on liberal education at the U of L.

“The need for differentia-tion within Alberta’s post-sec-ondary system has never been greater, for our students and for us,” he said. “There are many things we could do but what are the right ones? It’s a time for focus and a time to review the options that are in front of us.”

One of those options is to take a real look at the liberal education ideal through the University’s curriculum and to not be afraid to ask the hard questions.

“Is the GLER (general liberal education requirements) list a liberal education?” he asked. “I’ve been here 23 years and it doesn’t seem to have evolved much from those lists.

For some of our students, it becomes ticking off boxes to complete a degree – but is that a liberal education? I don’t think so, and I think we have to be a little more purposeful.”

Time and again, Hakin would go back to a common refrain, saying, “It’s time to get into it.”

He acknowledged there was a fear to open up the liberal education discussion, mainly because the University com-munity is not entirely sure just what liberal education is today.

“It’s not going to come, in a comprehensive academic and research institution, at the expense of the strength of our majors. This is not about downgrading the quality of our majors, but if we’re serious about the quality of the whole of the degree that we offer, then we have to try and build an experience not just around the major but the whole beast.”

Hakin challenged faculty, as the generators of curriculum, to examine their own thoughts on liberal education.

“I’m asking for us to rein-vest in curriculum,” he said. “We have strong programs and majors but I think we can do better. It’s not that it’s bad, I’m just asking the question, is it purposeful and does it address the needs of today’s students and differentiate us in a man-ner that it could?”

He concluded by putting the conversation into historical context, harkening back to the University’s founding prin-ciples, hashed out at the 1967 Waterton Conference.

“Liberal education has his-torically been very important to us,” he said. “We need to ask, does it still have that impor-tance to us as an institution? I know where I stand, I want to know where you stand.”

Let the dialogue begin.

Penner relishes the opportunity to work collaboratively with the u of L’s Faculty of Health Sciences.

Penner’s dedication recognized with honour

FIAT LUX ADDRESS STIMULATES LIBERAL EDUCATION DIALOGUE “The organizing idea for this course is community mapping, which is based on principles of learning about the communities you live in through mapping (in the broadest sense of that word) what they offer,” says Newberry. “The mapping metaphor extends from how a student maps out an essay or the coulee, to mapping research clusters and the resources available to support student success. This course takes a liberal education approach that emphasizes multiple perspectives, and it is designed to highlight some of our most dynamic teachers as a way to introduce stu-dents to the Faculties and disciplines at the University of Lethbridge.”

Upon the term’s completion, the course will be evaluated to see how it benefited its first class, and subsequently how to move for-ward to bring this type of learning to a broader segment of first-year students.

These endeavours highlight the University’s dedication to providing an enhanced student experience within a framework of liberal education and interdisci-plinary inquiry.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 2 | U N I V E R S I T Y O F L E T H B R I D G E the Legend

7

Dr. Henning Bjornlund is a Canada Research Chair in Water Policy and Management at the University of Lethbridge and a professor at the University of South Australia. He has researched water policy and man-agement issues in Australia since 1993 and in Canada since 2005. He recently served on the Ministers Advisory Group on Water Alloca-tion and Management in Alberta, and has written widely about water policy and management issues with more than 275 publications and presentations.

What first piqued your interest in your research discipline?

Prior to starting my first academic degree in 1990, I was the managing director for a company operating tropical plantations in South and Cen-tral America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific. As part of this work, I bought properties and negotiated access rights to water to grow bananas, citrus, rice and other tropical crops highly dependent on water.

While studying for my bachelor’s degree I had to do a third-year research project and chose to concentrate on the impact of water policy on rural land values. This required a careful study of the literature on water markets and water rights. I continued this theme through both my master’s and PhD stud-ies.

How is your research appli-cable in “the real world”?

Water is probably the most important and valuable resource in the world. All human activ-ity depends on it in one form or another. It is available in a finite quantity and has a finite ability to assimilate waste. Most human and economic activity in some way impacts on water quality and the availability of water. Hu-man activities have had a serious impact on water bodies and the ecosystems dependent on them. Policy makers around the world are trying to come to terms with how to reverse this trend of environmental degradation, how to continue our human activities while minimizing our impact on the environment, how to use less water and be more efficient, how to produce more from less

and how to share our limited resources. All of these issues are central to my research.

What is the greatest honour you have received in your career?

The greatest honour and privilege that I can receive as an academic is an invitation to contribute to policy making, the development of professional standards or to public debate and awareness. Hence, invita-tions to serve on entities such as the Ministers Advisory Group on a new Water Management and Allocation framework for Alberta, to produce a policy commentary to contribute to the debate on water manage-ment and policy in Alberta, or help write a policy document for the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in London on the implications of changing water policies for property pro-fessionals are among the greatest honours I have received.

How important are students to your research endeav-ours?

Student participation is an integral part of my research program. I currently have seven PhD students and five mas-ter’s students in Canada and Australia working on various issues related to water policy and management. Apart from answering pressing questions about how to resolve the world’s growing water problems, a very important task is the building of human capacity to deal with these issues. Student training in this area is very important.

If you had unlimited funds, which areas of research would you invest?

How to share limited resources is one of the most challenging issues facing policy makers and water managers. This is a very complicated issue in that those who currently have the right to use water have invested a lot of time and money to be able to do so. Hence, any change in the way water is allocated can potentially have significant socio-economic impact on the current genera-tion of water users, not the least

of which are irrigators and the communities that currently depend on water use as the economic engine of their com-munity. If I had unlimited funds I would like to conduct a Canada wide investigation of how people perceive a reallocation should take place, how such percep-tion varies across Canada and what causes the variation. Such insight would assist the develop-ment of a national water plan or policy, as well as the develop-ment of provincial water policy plans.

Each month, the Legend will present 5 Questions With . . . one of our researchers. For a look at the entire catalog of 5 Questions With . . . features, check out the Office of Research and Innovation Services website at www.uleth.ca/research/research_profiles. If you’d like to be profiled, contact Penny Pickles at pickpj@uleth.ca

DATA CENTRE OPEN TO ALL FACULTYBY BOB COONEY

Dr. Tom Perks (Sociol-ogy) is turning his enthusi-asm for data into a four-year term as the academic direc-tor for the Statistics Canada Research Data Centre (RDC) here on campus. And, he wants to encourage as many researchers as possible to take advantage of the unique data clearinghouse.

As a long-time user of other data centres in Ed-monton and Calgary, Perks understands the conve-nience of having access to significant amounts of StatsCan data, close to home. He is cur-rently working on a project that matches changes in par-ticipation in sports with the recent Vancouver Olympics, and is able to do that using General Social Survey data.

“While use of the RDC has been steady, we’re hop-ing that we can expand its availability to even more fac-ulty, students, and members of the U of L community,” says Perks.

“The RDC provides access to detailed microdata including unaggregated data (at the individual, household or family levels), sensitive variables, precise geographic variables and longitudinal survey results.”

“In addition, the RDC offers a great opportunity for graduate students and senior undergraduate students looking to become more familiar with how Sta-tistics Canada works and to make use of Canadian data that otherwise would be not available to them,” he adds.

To access the data at the RDC, researchers must submit a project proposal justifying the need to use microdata files, as opposed to the public-use versions of the data. Individual research-ers, research teams led by the principal applicant and graduate students may apply.

“In the future we’ll be looking to host campus-wide seminars to introduce potential users of the RDC to Statistics Canada datasets, as well as the process of applying,” he says.

The Centre is currently open from Tuesday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Perks says there is a great deal of flexibility in scheduling.

Interested researchers are welcome to contact ei-ther Perks (thomas.perks@uleth.ca) or Statistical As-sistant Amber Zary at rdc@uleth.ca

BY NATASHA EVDOKIMOFF

Do scientists believe in fate? If you talk to Dr. Kathryn Preuss

(BSc ’95) about her academic life and professional career, you’ll notice a string of coincidences and happenings that seem to have set her on a path that’s led Preuss to her current position as an associate professor at the University of Guelph and a Tier II Canada Research Chair in the Chemistry of Molecular Materials.

“The U of L gave me the opportunity to do a lot of really significant research and be recognized for it early on.”

DR. KATHRYN PREUSS

It started when Preuss was a school kid, and her father, Dr. Peter Preuss, taught phi-losophy at the University of Lethbridge.

“I remember going to the Christmas parties, running around and having fun on cam-pus as a child,” recalls Preuss. “The U of L has always been a positive environment for me.”

Attending the U of L was therefore pretty much in the cards for Preuss from the begin-ning. She knew the University well and was aware of its great undergrad reputation across the country. Preuss enrolled at the U of L with the intention of taking her talent for science into the field of medicine. But as it happened, fate once again played its hand.

“When you’re a girl and you’re good at science, every-body tells you that you should become a doctor, so that’s what I assumed I’d be,” says Preuss. “But then I met professor René Boeré.”

In 1992, Preuss had earned the highest marks among all first-year chemistry students. At the end of the year, Boeré approached Preuss about ac-cepting a summer job in his lab and she jumped at the opportu-

nity. In need of a job, the idea of getting paid to do something she was genuinely interested in was too enticing to pass up.

Preuss spent that summer conducting experiments on inorganic synthesis and doing all sorts of exciting things that very few first-year undergrad students ever have the chance to do.

“It was eye opening,” recalls Preuss. “I couldn’t believe I

was getting paid to do all that cool stuff and was building my academic credentials at the same time. Suddenly I realized that it was possible to be a professional chemist, to do research and actually make a living at it.”

From there, Preuss’s path took a turn. She focused on obtaining a degree in chemis-try and continued to work in various professors’ labs between semesters. Preuss furthered her experiments in inorganic synthesis and later expanded her research to the areas of organic synthesis, thermodynamics and photochemistry.

By the time Preuss had fin-ished her undergraduate studies, she had no fewer than seven published papers to her name – more than most PhD students tend to have on their CVs. Preuss graduated with distinction from the U of L, was awarded the Faculty of Arts & Science Gold Medal (Science) for her achieve-ments and went on to complete a PhD in inorganic chemistry at the University of Waterloo.

Today, Preuss is a leading expert in the field of materials science. She has received numer-ous awards for her work, includ-ing the Royal Society of Canada’s Alice Wilson Award, the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s UFA University Faculty Award, and the Ontario Government’s Early Research Award.

Her research is innovative and influential – the magnitude of which only a chemist can truly appreciate.

“We are attempting to make bifunctional or multifunctional materials, but our design is unique,” she explains. “We are the first to actually develop thiazyl radicals as ligands in a rational way, and we have added a new class of radicals. We’ve taken the entire metal-radical concept a step further than it has every been taken before.”

Ask her how she feels the University of Lethbridge pre-pared her for academic achieve-ment and professional success, and Preuss’s response is crystal clear.

“My education at the U of L is directly responsible for where I am today,” says Preuss. “If I hadn’t gone to the U of L, met professor Boeré and worked in his lab, I wouldn’t have become a chemist. None of what I’ve done would have been accomplished. The U of L gave me the opportu-nity to do a lot of really signifi-cant research and be recognized for it early on. Attending the U of L definitely gave me a head start and got me going in the right direction, academically and professionally.”

It might be hard to prove, but scientists may just believe in fate after all.

8

Alumna of the Year Preuss realizes destiny

Preuss values the research opportunities she enjoyed as an under-graduate student at the University of Lethbridge.

G E T T H E FAC T S

•After completing her PhD in 2000, Preuss held post-doctoral positions at the University of Colorado and North Carolina State University. She returned to Canada in 2002

•Her current research has implications in the areas of low-power data storage, sensors and other adaptive technologies

• In addition to her teach-ing and research commit-ments, Preuss is an avid sailor and tries to spend some time each summer on Georgian Bay (Lake Huron) with her young family. She is married to Joel and has two children, Genevive (3) and Marco (1)

O U R alumni

BLOOD DONORS SUPPORTING CBS

Volunteers are often consid-ered the lifeblood of an organi-zation, but never is that more apparent than for the conscien-tious people who visit Canadian Blood Services (CBS) to donate a pint of their own.

Last spring, the University of Lethbridge became a proud Partner for Life with CBS, mean-ing that the U of L is committed to supplying a minimum num-ber of donations from faculty, staff and students. Over the past several months, members of the

U of L community have been transported on the CBS Lifebus to the local donation centre, working hard toward reaching the goal of 150 units of blood.

Shamus Neeson, the com-munity development co-ordina-tor for CBS, is excited about the enthusiastic response from the University.

“I’m very happy about the strong partnership we have with the U of L,” he says. “I’m really looking forward to continuing the relationship and increasing our donor numbers in the com-ing years.”

Canadian Blood Services established the U of L connec-

tion with the generous help of Faculty of Management Accounting Assistant, Patti Leeb, and accounting faculty member, Carla Carnaghan. Leeb and Carnaghan worked to share news of the Partners for Life ini-tiative through various commu-nications channels on campus, and are continuing to try and increase donor numbers.

To date, participation in the program has been mainly from faculty and staff at the U of L, and Neeson is hoping to see more student donors in the future. There are still more than 14,600 new donors required in Alberta alone this year and greater stu-

dent representation could help fill that need. To that end, two student teams from MGT 3250 (Social Marketing) will be work-ing with Leeb, Carnaghan and Neeson to better reach students on campus.

“I would really love to see every eligible faculty member, staff and student from the U of L be committed to donating blood on a regular basis and truly make an impact on saving lives,” says Leeb.

When 2012 draws to a close, Neeson and Leeb will take stock of the success of the program and work to establish a new, per-haps more ambitious, donation

goal for 2013.If you are interested in be-

coming a part of the University of Lethbridge’s Partners for Life team, you may: 1) Log onto the website www.blood.ca/joinpartnersforlife and complete an online form with the U of L Partner ID Number “UNIV012637” and your personal information. 2) Complete the membership form and forward to Patti Leeb by e-mail (leeb@uleth.ca) or by campus mail c/o Patti Leeb, Faculty of Management to be collected and directed to Blood Services.

BY SUZANNE MCINTOSH

It is Canada’s Healthy Workplace Month and the theme for this year is Life-

Work Harmony – Working Toward a Great Life.

Over the next few months, the Wellness Committee at the University of Lethbridge will be showcasing an education and awareness program focused on mental health in the workplace.

Healthy Workplace Month features four weeks of actionable themes designed to help you find the elusive life-work balance.

Week 1 | Taking action on mental health – What can I do? •Pay a compliment to a col-league week •No work at home week•Enjoy a free 15 minute mini-massage on Thursday, Oct. 11 (Noon to 1:30 p.m. in D635)•Attend the Lunch and Learn event, Beyond Stigma – Increas-ing our Knowledge of Mental Health in the Workplace on

Thursday, Oct. 18 (11 a.m. to noon, AH100)

Week 2 | Improving our workplace culture – What can I do?• Submit your healthy recipe to wellness@uleth.ca (prizes will be drawn for those who submit)•Thank a Co-worker Week. Need a thank you card to fill out? Send an e-mail to wellness@uleth.ca and we will send you a card to complete and send to a co-worker•Do a 5-minute desk clean up and tidy up the clutter in your life•Contact wellness@uleth.ca and organize a team Stretch and Strengthen session

Week 3 | Making our Work-place Resilient – What can I do?•Attend the Lunch and Learn event, Mindful Meditation on Tuesday, Oct. 30 (Noon to 1 p.m., AH100)•Designate all your meetings this week as caffeine free

• Invite all team members in your department or area to go for a lunchtime stroll• Set a day where you focus on going home on time to spend quality time with your family and friends •Get your flu shot

Week 4 | Keeping our Work-place Safe – What can I do?•Do an ergonomic self-assess-ment of your workspace•Download the WorkSafe Sam Stretch Prompter from WorkSafe BC (www2.worksafebc.com/Topics/Ergonomics/Resources-office.asp), and Sam will remind you when it’s time to move or get up and take a break •Re-organize your workstation, tool chest, a shelf or desk draw-ers – staying organized improves efficiency, productivity and safety•Participate in a campus safety inspection with the Joint Work-Site Health and Safety Com-mittee by contacting Dan Berte (2190) or Mike Pinder (2102) for the next inspection date

The Wellness Committee would like to take this opportu-nity to bring health and wellness information and resources to where you are – at work!

Come out to the 6th annual Life Balance Fair, Wednesday, Nov. 7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the indoor track of the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness.

We will be showcasing information and results from the Employee Health and Wellness Survey that, hopefully, you par-ticipated in last spring.

Find out the following:•Top 5 responses when employ-ees think about health •The percentage that employ-ees are exposed to second-hand smoke at work or at home•How many people are aware of the Employee and Family Assistance Program•What your co-workers do to manage their stress

Our home and work lives continue to get busier, and as individuals and employees, we face an ongoing cycle of stress

that unfortunately is common in our society.

Some new features to the Life Balance Fair are:

Stress Busters I (10 to 11 a.m., TH173); Stress Busters II (1 to 2 p.m., D634); Mini-Massage (2:30 to 4:30 p.m., TH141).

You can sign up ahead of time at wellness@uleth.ca

There will be more than 45 exhibitors, demos and activities, as well as a light healthy lunch, prizes, the third annual Off Balance Team Challenge (see if you can beat the defending champions from the library) and the Bring a Friend from Another Department Challenge. Information on the Stretch and Strengthen – Get Fit at Work program will be available, as well as the opportunity to learn more about the services from our Employee and Family Assistance Program provider, Homewood Human Solutions.

Suzanne McIntosh is the University’s Wellness Co-ordi-nator

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H E A LT H & wellness

PROJECTS WRAPPING UPBY JAMIE WOODFORD

Welcome to the first Facili-ties column in the Legend. We hope this monthly feature will not only keep you informed of our activities, but also help you understand why we do what we do.

While a lot of our work may seem disruptive and untimely, our job is to improve the physi-cal attributes of campus inside and out, and sometimes we need to make a mess in order to build a better University (we promise to clean up when we’re done).

This year was unusually busy for campus construction. Normally, project work is completed in the four-month window of summer when the majority of students are away,

but with more than $30 million worth of construction activity this year, it was next to impos-sible to squeeze all the projects into that short timeframe and expect completion by September.

While Facilities recognizes the inconvenience this may have had on the campus community, we continue to work hard to pro-vide new and improved spaces ensuring a positive experience at the U of L.

By now, most major con-struction projects are complete with only a few requiring a fin-ishing touch here and there.

Parking Lot RedevelopmentWe can all breathe a sigh

of relief that the parking lot redevelopment project is over – for now. Phase 2 of the project will get underway next summer. It includes paving Lots E and G, installing landscaping and trees, and the construction of storm

water management and drainage systems.

The fencing along the grassy area bordering Lot FS is still up to ensure that no one walks on the new sod that needs time to take root.

The Facilities department would like to thank everyone for their patience during the final-ization of the parking lot project. Unfortunately, early summer rains delayed the initial start-up and made it impossible to meet the originally scheduled comple-tion date.

PE Building RenovationRenovations to the PE

Building (which hadn’t been touched since it was built in the 1970s) should wrap up in time for Fall Convocation later this month. The area around the concrete stairwell has been significantly brightened thanks to new solar light tubes. The

cylindrical tubes are similar to skylights that let in natural daylight to help illuminate the space.

Part of the project includes the creation of “info walls” which are accompanied by benches made from the salvaged hand railings that used to adorn the wall along the Max Bell pool corridor and PE stairwell.

Speaking of the pool, the day use change room renova-tion will be complete once the tiling is done, likely by the end of October.

Quad ConstructionAnother cool project near-

ing completion is the quadrangle – a new outdoor gathering space being built just north of Mar-kin Hall on the former soccer field. The trapezium-shaped courtyard features a core open space with small rolling hills for sitting and lounging, as well as

connecting, well-lit sidewalks bordered by trees and plants.

While the area will mainly function as an open, casual gathering space, it will also sup-port various University activities throughout the year. Perhaps the best thing about the creation of the quad is that it allows the U of L to maintain its commit-ment to sustainable development while creating an iconic destina-tion on campus.

Information on these projects and other Facilities activities can be found at www.uleth.ca/facili-ties

Jamie Woodford is the proj-ect assistant, communications for the Department of Facilities

MERGER FORGES PARTNERSHIP

Who says the Scots and the English can’t get along?

It’s not impossible, says John O’Keeffe (director of security services), who hails from Eng-land and Anne Baxter (director of risk and safety services), born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and whose departments have recently merged to maximize growth and opportunities for each of their

respective units. The Departments of Secu-

rity Services and Risk and Safety Services (RSS) already maintain a strong working relationship with daily interaction on many fronts. The common goal these units share is ensuring that all reasonable steps are considered regarding the safety and security of the University community while minimizing and control-ling any risks that may have an adverse impact.

With the merger of these two

units, services will be streamlined to achieve more efficiency for the benefit of students, faculty, staff and University guests.

Safety issues at the Univer-sity have evolved over time, and by working together, the amal-gamated department can address those ever-changing safety and security matters more effectively.

The merger is not an instant change, and while it will take several months for a complete transition to occur, both O’Keeffe and Baxter stress

that the consolidation process will not affect current services provided by either unit.

Risk and Safety Services will now become a part of the Department of Facilities where security services is also housed.

O’Keeffe says he is excited for the opportunity to lead the new department and the syner-gies it will create. Baxter is look-ing forward to working more closely with the security unit, especially when it comes to the major initiatives that the team

is already collaborating on, such as the Emergency Response Plan and Working Alone program.

In the next few months, a series of articles will be commu-nicated on various topics such as new and existing initiatives, reporting on efficiencies, and any other developments that come out of this unique and innovative partnership.

Healthy Workplace Month looks to balance life

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 2 | U N I V E R S I T Y O F L E T H B R I D G Ethe Legend

BY BOB COONEY

The Parkland Institute has granted funding for the first time under a new

program established this year.Both the Parkland Institute

Faculty Research Grant and the Parkland Institute Graduate Research Award aim to provide seed funding for University of Lethbridge faculty and their research teams, including stu-dents, in areas of public policy. Dr. Claudia Malacrida (sociolo-gy) and international graduate student Alan Santinele Martino are the first recipients of the combined $10,000 award.

Both researchers will be ex-ploring information and services about relationships, intimacy and sexuality for people with intellectual disabilities. Malac-rida will be gathering data on the policy and programming options that guide individuals, family members and agencies in their decision-making.

Martino will be interview-ing agency workers about the challenges and resources they experience in supporting people with intellectual disabilities in terms of sexuality and relation-ships.

Parkland Institute Director Dr. Trevor Harrison (sociol-ogy) says the projects fit well within the institute’s mandate to research topics of interest to a broad audience, and which ex-amine disparity between groups or organizations.

“Studying the issues sur-rounding sexuality in the

context of an intellectual or developmental disability is an under-researched area that we are pleased to support both at a faculty level and at a graduate student level,” says Harrison.

“Research is a long-term process that often suffers in the initial stages for lack of start-up funds, much like a small busi-ness. We are hopeful that, by making sure projects like these get started, they lead to other opportunities for our researchers and graduate students.”

Martino says that advocat-ing for the rights and social inclusion of individuals with disability has always been a per-sonal commitment.

“I have an older brother with cerebral palsy, and I believe that this research is a chance to connect knowledge and practice in a way that we can improve the lives of individuals with disabil-ity, as well as their families.”

“For me, it is not possible to talk about social inclusion with-out considering sexuality. We

need to acknowledge the impor-tance of recognizing individuals with disabilities as sexual beings within their communities and providing them with opportuni-ties for a healthy sexual develop-ment.”

Martino is originally from São Paulo, Brazil. He came to the U of L to work with Malacrida after completing his under-graduate degree at St. Lawrence University in New York State. He plans to interview agencies, policymakers and community members to learn more about how sexuality is either integrated or not integrated into the process of working with people with developmental disabilities, and hopes to influence change at a policy level.

“The key objective of my research is to influence the poli-cies and practices in the agency and government levels, identify-ing gaps and suggesting possible solutions.”

The Faculty of Education is gearing up for a major speaking event on Friday, Oct. 12.

Two-time Olympian, Olym-pic gold medalist and entrepre-neur Adam Kreek will present as part of the Research in Educa-tion Seminar Series.

“I’m excited, I’m really looking forward to coming back to the U of L,” says Kreek, who made a previous visit for the inaugural U of L Leadership Conference in April 2011.

During his 13-year row-ing career, Kreek won over 60 medals, with 43 of these being gold or first-place performances. After a disappointing loss at the Athens Olympics in 2004, Kreek and his team powered their way to a gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. He was subsequently named Athlete Leader of the Year at the presti-gious Canadian Sports Awards and was elected to the Canadian

Olympic Committee to direct sports policy in Canada.

A Stanford University graduate (geotechnical engineer-ing and hydrology), Kreek is an advocate for sustainability and is co-owner of Grease Cycle, a Vancouver Island based organi-zation that collects and processes waste vegetable oil and produces sustainable biodiesel for local

consumption.He is also an ambassador for

Right To Play, an international non-profit organization that uses play to rehabilitate youth in dis-advantaged regions of the world.

The focus for his U of L talk will be on keeping adventure alive. To that end, he’ll preview a bold new challenge that he and three fellow rowers will take up in December, a crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.

“Not everybody needs to row across the ocean but the message that adventure can be incorporated into everyone’s lives is universal,” says Kreek. “We all need a sense of adven-ture, it is invigorating and makes us better in every aspect of our lives.”

Kreek’s talk is at 4:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 12 in PE275 and is free to attend. Kindly RSVP to wayne.street@uleth.ca

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Parkland Institute grant supports research project

U of L museum studies intern, Miranda Grol (BA ‘09) uses magni-fication and tweezers to remove adhesive from the edge of the artwork: Frank McMahon – Oilman from Vancouver by Nicholas de Grandmaison. From the U of L Art Collection; gift of the de Grand-maison Family, 1988. Grol who co-curated the exhibition is now the Head of Collections at the Fort MacLeod Museum.

International graduate student Alan Santinele Martino, left, with Drs. Claudia Malacrida and Trevor Harrison.

Olympic champion Adam Kreek.

KREEK TALK PART OF EDUCATION SERIES

EXHIBIT EXPLORES ACT OF ARTISTIC CONSERVATION

HEALING THE FOCUS OF COMMUNITY ROUND DANCE

“Preventive conservation is a continual and on-going process that combats the process of aging and deterio-ration of artist’s media,” says Juliet Graham, co-curator of the exhibition entitled Caring for the Collection in the Helen Christou Gallery, running Oct. 26 through Dec. 24. The opening reception for Caring for the Collection is in the Main Gallery on Oct. 26 at 4 p.m.

“This exhibition has been created as a snapshot to illustrate the team approach to preservation through the

daily, behind-the-scenes work that goes into preserving the U of L Art Collection and to demonstrate to the com-munity that the collection is being maintained and pro-tected for future generations,” says Graham. “Included in the exhibition are works that have received conservation treatment along with in-depth text, photographs and videos, which show some of the behind-the-scenes activities of collections and explains the importance of this work to our cultural heritage.”

BY ABBY GROENENBOOM

In response to a rash of racially-charged comments in the broader southern Alberta community that followed the September wildfire incident, the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union agreed to host an event to create aware-ness and highlight the many positives of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) cul-ture in southern Alberta.

As a result, a Community Round Dance was held on Oct. 5 in the Students’ Union Ballrooms.

The FNMI community on campus approached Abby Morning Bull, ULSU General Assembly FNMI Representa-tive, to have her co-ordinate with the Students’ Union and organize an event that would shed positive light on the FNMI culture in the Lethbridge area.

“We thought this was an excellent idea and were fully supportive of the event because the Students’ Union is committed to supporting our entire student community through the different events we host,” says ULSU President Armin Escher.

“A round dance is a place for people to come together as a community to enjoy one another’s company in laughter and stories,” says Morning Bull. “There are several types of round dances; this one was more of a social gather-ing rather than a ceremonial dance.”

Singers were invited to share their songs with the audience and those who were bold enough, were invited to participate in the round dance. Round dance partici-pants traditionally join hands and move in a clockwise direction creating a circle; if there are enough participants a smaller circle can form inside the larger one. Round dances are designed to draw people together in a favour-able way, regardless of their cultural background.

“The intent of this round dance was to gather the community in positivity and respect, as a response to the recent controversial com-ments that occurred following the fire on the Kainai Nation,” says Morning Bull. “This is a way of healing, letting go and moving forward.”

STUDENT PLAY DEBUTING

TheatreXtra debuts the award winning play 1000 Names, by U of L student and playwright, Chelsea Woolley (BA/BEd student), Nov. 1-3 in the David Spinks Theatre.

A mystery that spans both place and time, 1000 Names is set in Poland during World War II.

“To say this is a World War II play, isn’t exactly accurate,” says director, Hannah Rud (BFA/BEd student). “It’s set during that time and certainly the war impacts the story, but it’s about so much more than that.”

Two tales unravel in two different times, but occur in the same room of the same house.

As the story unfolds, discoveries are made that reveal the fate of the previous owners of the home.

“I was drawn to the play because of the characters,” says Rud. “It features a cast of five ac-tors including three very strong female characters. I’m excited to see what our cast comes up with as they interpret their roles.”

“Woolley spent almost two years of research while writing 1000 Names. It took the second place prize in the 2012 U of L Play Right Prize competition, supported by U of L alumnus Terry Whitehead.

Shows for 1000 Names are at 8 p.m. nightly with a 2 p.m. matinee on Nov. 3.

Tickets are priced at $11 regular, $7 seniors/students and can be purchased at the Univer-sity Box Office.

THE BAD BOYS OF OPERA

They can be found lurking in the shadows, deceiving young maidens or occupying centre-stage as loud and brash patri-archs – the bad boys of opera appear in almost every show, and this fall, Opera Workshop showcases just how bad these boys can be.

Playing Nov. 2-3 at 8 p.m. nightly in the University Recital Hall, Bad Boys of Opera delights audiences with a sampler of opera’s greatest moments featur-ing boys at their worst.

Director Dr. Blaine Hen-dsbee has selected a repertoire that showcases the talents of his ensemble.

“I’ve got a great cast of young men who can play these great male characters and I also have an exceptional ensemble of women as well. Often, the

male character or bad boy of the opera creates a great foil for the heroine to play off. We’ll see this, among many other scenarios, in the selections we’re performing,” says Hendsbee.

Scenes from Madame Butterfly, Carmen, Hansel and Gretel, The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni are featured on the program, along with other operatic offerings, such as selections from Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, Igor Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress and Gilbert and

Sullivan’s Ruddigore.“The male characters we’re

focusing on can be anything from charming, to deceiving to just plain evil,” Hendsbee explains. “We don’t really see the bad boy, per se, in Madame Butterfly, but we do see the effects that a bad boy has on the heroine, who is isolated and has become an outcast because of her man. In Susannah, we see another beauti-ful heroine, who has become an outcast of her village as well. The Preacher, in this opera, casts

her down, and everything goes terribly wrong for her. And, in a great scene from Don Giovanni the servant, Leporello, is our featured bad boy, posing as Don Giovanni.”

Opera Workshop never fails to charm audiences; it’s an extravagant evening of operatic opulence.

Tickets, priced at $15 regular, $10 seniors/students, are available at the University Box Office or available online at www.uleth.ca/tickets

Aliens, usherettes and sweet transvestites? Dammit, Janet! Let’s do the Time Warp again in this cult rock opus. Will Frank ‘N Furter build his creature? Will darkness conquer Brad and Janet? Whatever happened to Fay Wray?

Get answers, complete with a live rock band, special guest stars and more surprises during Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show, running Oct. 16-20 in the University Theatre.

Playing nightly at 8 p.m., with special show times on Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. and midnight, The Rocky Horror Show promises not only a screamingly good time, but will have audiences singing and dancing along.

“I saw The Rocky Horror Show on Broadway in 2001 and it was an eye-opening experi-

ence; it was exciting to see how everyone, including the audi-ence, was involved in the show,” says director Jay Whitehead. “When it came to picking a show to direct for our Mainstage sea-son I really wanted to put on a musical – something very char-acter focused, and something that was both campy and had dark themes woven throughout. When music director, Bente Hansen, and I sat down to nar-row down our list of musicals, The Rocky Horror Show topped our list; it was campy but dark, had a great musical score and gave the opportunity to explore drag culture.”

After premiering at Lon-don’s Royal Court Theatre in 1973, Richard O’Brien’s rock-musical smash achieved both critical and commercial success

throughout its run both in the U.K. and in the U.S. Its mash-up of science fiction B-movie style, with a 1950s rock ‘n roll-inspired score, made the musical a quirky, outlandish hit on stage, and led to the movie, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

“When I sat down with costume designer David Bar-rus (MFA candidate), and set designer, Roger Schultz, we talked about the early 1980s new wave movement – and we’ve set our version in an underground nightclub, when the new wave and punk movements were driving new forms of art. This will be a very colourful show,” promises Whitehead.

The culture of Rocky Hor-ror is founded on audience par-ticipation and this production will not disappoint. Although

patrons cannot bring their own props from home, they do have the opportunity to purchase a kit of University Theatre-friendly props from the Theatre Arts Society at the beginning of each show, with funds going to sup-port drama student clubs. And everyone is more than welcome to dress up!

With local educators and celebrities, including Nicholas Hanson, Jeff Carlson, Sharon Peat, Dayna Daniels, Erica Hunt and Kelly Roberts making spe-cial appearances each show, The Rocky Horror Show is never the same twice.

Tickets are on sale at the U of L Box Office, Monday through Friday (12:30 to 3:30 p.m.) or by calling 403-329-2616. Tickets are priced at $15 regular, $10 students/seniors.

Expect anything while attending the Rocky Horror Show.

The Rocky Horror Show an outlandish spectacle

UNIVERSITY’S 45TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED MUSICALLY

Forty-Five is a significant number for the University of Lethbridge this year. In honour of the U of L’s 45th anniversary, the Faculty Artists and Friends Series opens its season Friday, Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. in the Universi-ty Recital Hall with Celebrate 45, a concert featuring music either related to, containing, or written with the number 45 in mind.

“Using the number 45 as a stepping stone, we came up with a dynamic and varied program

of music,” says Nick Sullivan, member of the Faculty Artists and Friends concert committee. “We were quite pleased with the vast spectrum of musical offer-ings we came up with, which includes musical selections throughout history.”

Musical offerings include a medley of Beatles tunes played by pianist, Bente Hansen, all written 45 years ago, in 1967.

“The selection of songs from Penny Lane was also released on a 45 rpm record,” notes Sullivan.

Dr. Blaine Hendsbee (tenor) sings a set of Gabriel Faure songs, written in 1845, and Dr. Sandra Stringer (mezzo-sopra-no) performs pieces by Richard Wagner, composed when he was 45-years-old.

Celebrate 45 is the first of a six-concert series promising

a diverse and exciting season of music unique to the Faculty Art-ists and Friends Series.

Tickets to Celebrate 45 are priced at $20 regular, $15 seniors/students.

RUBBING STONE ENSEMBLE TO PERFORM ON CAMPUS

Calgary’s prestigious Rub-bing Stone Ensemble visits the University Recital Hall Oct. 19 for an 8 p.m. performance of selections from their soon-to-

be-released and tentatively titled album, Rubbing Stone Ensemble: The Lethbridge Sessions.

Recorded at Studio 1, in the Faculty of Fine Arts, the album features new music composed for Rubbing Stone Ensemble by seven Canadian composers, including U of L music faculty member, Dr. Arlan Schultz.

Versatile and dynamic, this resident ensemble for New Works Calgary is making a

name for itself performing a wide array of new Canadian music, including pieces that incorporate electronics. Ensemble members include Jere-my Brown (saxophone), Gianetta Baril (harp), Donovan Seidle (violin) and Eric Bumstead (per-cussion). Special guest perform-ers joining Rubbing Stone for the Oct. 19 concert include music faculty, Dr. Deanna Oye (piano) and Martha Renner (soprano).

Schultz, whose work Ikos is on the evening’s program and on the CD, is proud of the upcom-ing album and thrilled the ensemble is giving Lethbridge audiences a preview.

“The album is set to be released on CD worldwide and for download on iTunes in the spring of 2013. The concert features stunning new works by Laurie Radford, David Eagle, Nova Pon, Alain Perron, and

Anthony Tan,” he says. The concert features the

acoustic ensemble seamlessly blended with surround computer facilitated audio.

Tickets, priced at $15 regular, $10 seniors/students, are available at the University Box Office or online at www.uleth.ca/tickets

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F I N E A R T S in focus

L A S T I N Gimages

Franklin Carmichael was

born in Orillia, Ont. in 1890.

He moved to Toronto to

attend the Ontario College

of Art and Design where he

studied with academically

trained painters such as

William Cruickshank and

George Reid.

Carmichael befriended Tom Thomson, accompanying him on weekend sketching trips and eventually the two shared a studio space. Carmichael was a founding member of both the Ontario Society of Painters in Watercolour and the Canadian Group of Painters, and taught at his alma mater from 1932 until his death in 1945.

Carmichael was a member of the Group of Seven – a collective of landscape painters, active from 1920 to 1933, whose works became closely linked to Canadian nationalism.

The Group’s paintings were acclaimed as the first distinctly Canadian modernist art movement, and depicted the majesty of the

forests, lakes and mountain peaks of the Canadian Shield region.

The members of the Group believed that by representing Canada’s rugged wilderness with bold colours, stylized shapes and gestural brushstrokes, they could break from European conventions of painting and imbue their works with an essentially Canadian spirit.

(TOP) Franklin Carmichael, Untitled (Forest Interior), 1933. From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of an anonymous donor, 2002.

(RIGHT) Franklin Carmichael, Untitled (Jack Pine Trees), 1940. From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of an anonymous donor, 2002.

(BOTTOM) Franklin Carmichael, Untitled (La Cloche Area Landscape), 1940. From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of an anonymous donor, 2002.