UNews - Rebecca Gray

Recognizing the winners of the 2022 President's Awards for Service Excellence

caroline.zentner — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 19:44:34 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President's Office is pleased to announce the 2022 recipients of the President's Award for Service Excellence.

AUPE recipient — Rebecca Gray

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is extremely pleased to present the President’s Award for Service Excellence (AUPE) to Rebecca Gray, a student loan advisor with Scholarships & Student Finance.

Part mentor, part advocate and part cheerleader, Gray has consistently demonstrated an ability to tackle students’ loan challenges with compassion and resolve. As a student loan advisor for the past 10 years, Gray is the first person to greet visitors to the Scholarships & Student Finance office. With her quick British wit and keen sense of humour, she puts others at ease. Gray is well aware of the financial stressors students can face and she’s quick to offer both emotional and practical support.

As someone who believes finances should never be a barrier to education, Gray goes above and beyond to help students access the maximum funding available to them by finding sources of support they never thought possible. Rather than simply providing advice to students, she goes a step further to work on students’ behalf with government representatives and loan lenders. Gray’s ability to empathize, coupled with her vast knowledge of student finance options, makes her a highly valuable support for both students and the ULethbridge community.

In addition to her front-line work as a student loan advisor, Gray also worked with Information Technology staff to improve departmental operations, specifically the automated student loan confirmation process. Before being rebuilt, the process required many hours of manual labour by staff in Student Finance and the Cash Office. Gray’s knowledge of the inner workings of the current system were critical in the process.

In addition to that knowledge, the project required someone who could adapt and advocate for changes in the functional and technical realms. Gray handily demonstrated these skills while implementing the new system as she spent countless hours testing and trouble-shooting the complexities of the rebuild as it related to the Student Finance office. This work was done in addition to her normal day-to-day tasks and she helped keep the project moving forward by putting in extra time towards its successful completion. Despite the demands, Gray kept a positive attitude throughout the project and her humour helped everyone involved in the project stay upbeat.

To her colleagues and students, Gray is the go-to person who has and continues to make a difference.

Team award recipients — Suzanne Atkinson, Brenda Bell, Jaime Iwaasa, Nicole Spence, Kyra Svrcek and Kelly Vaselenak

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is proud to recognize the Faculty of Education’s Student Program Services (SPS) and Field Experiences (FE) teams with the President’s Award for Service Excellence.

From left to right are Nicole Spence, Jaime Iwaasa, Kyra Svrcek, Kelly Vaselenak and Suzanne Atkinson. Missing from the photo is Brenda Bell.

In a post-secondary year defined by the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, these teams have provided exceptional service and care to both students and faculty.

FE team members, Jaime Iwaasa (BMgt '22) and Kelly Vaselenak, and SPS team members, Suzanne Atkinson (BFA ’00), Brenda Bell (BA ’95, MA ’99), Kyra Svrcek (BHSc ’16) and Nicole Spence, often work in tandem to ensure undergraduate students are well supported in the Faculty of Education from pre-application to graduation. These teams are responsible for multiple tasks related to marketing, recruitment, admissions, advising, communications and setting up practicums in many school divisions across Alberta or in other provinces. In addition, the teams help students meet graduation requirements and subsequently navigate the teacher certification process. They also ensure faculty have all they need to successfully supervise students within schools.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented these teams with exceptional circumstances. The FE team is responsible for placing between 900 and 1,000 students in schools every year as they complete their professional semesters. The pandemic posed many challenges in terms of placing student teachers into their classrooms. Further complicating the situation was the fact ULethbridge students were learning remotely, many of them from communities outside Lethbridge. As a result, the FE team negotiated working with new schools and divisions to adapt to the changing practicum environment. Some practicum placements were outside the province where COVID restrictions were different. In the 2020-2021 year, the FE team placed more than 600 students into new practicums where, at times, they worked in a virtual or hybrid teaching environment.

In the run-up to the Fall 2020 semester, admissions had to be completed before a decision was made about how courses were to be delivered. The SPS team handled numerous questions from students who were worried about how they would begin their post-secondary education. The SPS team responded by holding information sessions, virtual townhalls and open houses to both new and continuing students. They also had to quickly adapt to using digital platforms and developed new skills in data management and electronic forms of record keeping in the process. The team found ways to support students and each other with grace and good humour, despite the volume of emails and concerns from students.

The SPS and FE teams are the foundation of the Faculty of Education program and their steadfast efforts over the past year ensured students had the best year possible.

APO recipient — Kali McKay

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is very proud to present the President’s Award for Service Excellence (APO) to Kali McKay (BA ’06, MA ’10), director of community engagement.

McKay has held numerous roles at ULethbridge, with the first as a student. After completing a bachelor’s degree, she joined the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as a recruitment officer where she worked until returning to student life to complete her masters. Following the completion of her program, she joined ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Advancement as a communications officer, then as events and protocol officer, and later as manager of constituent engagement. She now brings those varied perspectives to her current position as director of community engagement in the Department of Development, Alumni Relations and Community Engagement. Having worked in these roles has given McKay a holistic view of the workings of a post-secondary institution and it’s those experiences she draws upon in meeting the needs of ULethbridge’s many stakeholders.

Her masterstrokes are evident in many of ULethbridge’s most successful events and programs. McKay sees the big picture from the high-level strategy down to the smallest details. She played a crucial role in organizing both the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2017 and the Big Bang Weekend to celebrate the opening of Science Commons in 2019. More recently, McKay led activities to celebrate the conclusion of the SHINE campaign, which raised $100 million and engaged more than 20,000 alumni. She has helped the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s annual Play Day take shape over the last decade and ensured its longevity by securing a donor for the event. Each year, she works to refine the planning and execution of Play Day so it continues to support the needs of families in southern Alberta.

McKay has formed strong relationships with partners across the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and cemented herself as a leader both within the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the larger community. Her eye is always on what’s best for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community and her tendency to dream big allows her to expand ideas. The Nourish program is a perfect example. She played a key role in building a brand for food security initiatives across campus to create a program that supports students and gives alumni and community members a way to give back.

She is also a champion for liberal education and has worked closely with the School of Liberal Education to advance initiatives like the Common Book Project and Volunteer Week. This passion for liberal education also inspired her to secure Margaret Atwood as guest speaker for the 2015 Calgary Alumni & Friends Dinner, an event she organized and helped grow for a number of years. An extraordinary writer, one of the many stories McKay wrote includes The Formidable Margaret Atwood, which was published in Southern Alberta Magazine. Her colleagues fondly remember placing a sign on her office door that read, “Please do not disturb. Interview with MARGARET ATWOOD in progress.”

McKay’s ongoing positivity and drive to make ULethbridge the best it can be has reaped dividends too numerous to count and set a successful path for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for years to come.

Events - November

trevor.kenney — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 21:18:53 +0000

Pronghorns Athletics

Nov. 19-20 | Canada West Men's Hockey | ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina vs. Horns | 7 p.m. nightly, Nicholas Sheran Arena

Nov. 26-27 | Canada West Women's Hockey | ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan vs. Horns | 7 p.m. nightly, Nicholas Sheran Arena

Dec. 3-4 | Canada West Men's Hockey | UBC vs. Horns | 7 p.m. nightly, Nicholas Sheran Arena

Lectures

Nov. 17 | Art Now: Conceptual artist, Gareth Long | Noon, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Nov. 17 | Student Seminar
ACM Rocky Mountain Regional Contest | Noon, C674

Nov. 17 | Creating and Managing Effective Discussion Forums
12:15 p.m., TH 373

Nov. 17 | WestGrid Seminar: Virtual Reality Systems | Pierre Boulanger, Department of Computing Science, presents his research on virtualized reality systems | 12:30 p.m., CRDC L1126

Nov. 17 | Faculty of Management Lunch and Learn | Careers in Finance
12:05 p.m., TH 277

Nov. 18 | Women Scholars Speaker Series | Isa Milman presents, Jewish Women Pioneers on the Canadian Prairies | Noon, Andy's Place (AH100)

Nov. 19 | Art Now: Conceptual artist, Micah Lexier | Noon, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Nov. 19 | Department of Economics Lecture series | Migration as a Catastrophe: Geometric Analyses of Two Models Using Novel Mathematics by Jermiah Allen | 2:30 p.m., B543

Nov. 22 | Art Now: Writer, Nancy Tousley | Noon, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Nov. 22 | Architecture & Design Now: Michelangelo Sabatino
6 p.m., C610

Nov. 24 | Art Now: Multidisciplinary artist, Sonny Assu | Noon, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Nov. 26 | Art Now: Painters, John Brown and Dagmar Dahle | Noon, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Nov. 29 | Architecture & Design Now: Vancouver designer, Michelle Biggar | 6 p.m., C610

Dec. 1 | Faculty of Management Lunch and Learn | Networking
12:05 p.m., TH 277

Dec. 2 | Pre-recorded Public Lecture Series | Anticipating a New Golden Age by F. Wilczek, Nobel Laureate
Department of Physics and Astronomy | 6:30 p.m., PE 264

Dec. 9 | Women Scholars Speaker Series | Shifts in the Production/Reproduction Nexus in Aging Societies
Dr. Susan McDaniel | 3 p.m., Andy's Place (AH100)

Performances

Nov. 19 | Romantic Reflection
Musaeus String Quartet with pianist & U of L alumnus Matthew Blackburn | 8 p.m., Southminster United Church

Nov. 20 | Faculty Artists & Friends
Glen Montgomery in Recital: Romantic composers | 8 p.m., ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall

Nov. 22 | Ode to Joy – Beethoven's Symphony #9 | Lethbridge Symphony and Vox Musica with soloists Janet Youngdahl (soprano); Sandra Stringer (mezzo-soprano); Blaine Hendsbee (tenor); and George Evelyn (bass-baritone) | 8 p.m., Southminster United Church

Nov. 23 | Music at Noon: Gwen Klassen (flute), Elinor Lawson (piano) | 12:15 p.m., ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Nov. 23-27 | Spring Awakening
Mature content; A "children's tragedy" | 8 p.m. nightly, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre

Nov. 26 | U of L Wind Orchestra Concert | 8 p.m., Southminster United Church

Nov. 30 | Music at Noon: Greg Brookes and Deanna Oye | 12:15 p.m., ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Dec. 4-5 | Magnificat & Messiah
The LSO with the U of L Singers perform Bach's Magnificat and the Christmas part of Handel's Messiah
8 p.m. (Dec. 4), 3 p.m. (Dec. 5), Southminster United Church

Dec. 7 | Music at Noon: Studio Showcase | 12:15 p.m., ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Miscellaneous

Plays and Prose Writing Competition
Submission deadline, 4 p.m., Dec. 13
Rebecca Gray, W850

Nov. 17 | Annual Women's Health Fair | Presented by the Health Centre
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 1st Choice Savings Centre

Nov. 17 | Christmas in the Park 2010
Hot dogs and hot chocolate available in exchange for non-perishable food items or $2 donation | 6 to 8 p.m., Paterson Centre

Nov. 18 | Master of Social Work Information Session | Deadline to apply is Jan. 31, 2011 | kathi.burnett@uleth.ca | 6 to 7:30 p.m., AH116

Nov. 19 | Tribute to the Beast: All Ages Iron Maiden Tribute Show and Fundraiser! | Presented by the U of L Headbanger's Society | 8 p.m., Students' Union Ballroom

Nov. 20 | Culture Vulture Saturday
Button Making with Trap/door
Proceeds go to Trap/door Artist Run Centre | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., U of L Art Gallery

Global Justice Student Speaker Challenge | Application forms available at www.ulsu.ca | Submit electronically to pirg@uleth.ca with Global Justice in the subject line | Deadline for applications is Dec. 3

Nov. 5 to Jan. 7 | Promising Objects | Works by Alison MacTaggart
U of L Main Gallery

Dec. 8 | Hollywood and Beyond: Great American Filmmakers
Screening of, It's a Wonderful Life
6:30 p.m., Lethbridge Public Library

For a look at the full issue of the November Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Events - October

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 20:33:47 +0000

Pronghorn Athletics

Oct. 15 | Canada West
Men's Hockey
��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary vs. Horns
7 p.m., Nicholas Sheran Arena

Oct. 16 | Canada West Women's Hockey | ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary vs. Horns, 7 p.m., Nicholas Sheran Arena

Oct. 22-23 | Canada West
Basketball
Trinity Western vs. Horns | Women's game, 6 p.m.; Men's game, 8 p.m.
1st Choice Savings Centre gym

Oct. 22-23 | Canada West Women's Hockey | ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta vs. Horns, 7 p.m. nightly
Nicholas Sheran Arena

Oct. 22-24 | Canada West Women's Rugby | Canada West Championship Tournament, Community Sports Stadium

Oct. 23 | Canada West Soccer
��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta vs. Horns
Women's game, noon; Men's game, 2 p.m., Community Sports Stadium

Oct. 24 | Canada West Soccer
��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan vs. Horns
Women's game, noon; Men's game, 2 p.m., Community Sports Stadium

Oct. 29-30 | Canada West Men's Hockey | ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba vs. Horns, 7 p.m. nightly
Nicholas Sheran Arena

Nov. 6-7 | Canada West Women's Hockey | ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia vs. Horns
Nov. 6, 7 p.m. | Nov. 7, 2 p.m.
Nicholas Sheran Arena

Nov. 12-13 | Canada West Basketball | ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan vs. Horns | Women's game, 6 p.m.; Men's game, 8 p.m., 1st Choice Savings Centre gym

Lectures

Oct. 13 | Art Now: Writer Simon Houpt | Noon, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Oct. 14 | Responding to Sexual Violence on Campus | For faculty and staff. Pat Anderson, Counselling Services, discusses how you can respond effectively if a student discloses sexual violence to you.
3 to 4:30 p.m., AH118

Oct. 15 | Art Now:
Curator Steve Loft
Noon, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Oct. 18 | Art Now: Multimedia artist Laurel Woodcock | Noon, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Oct. 18 | CAETL Graduate Student Workshop | Class Discussion and Tutorials with Dr. Harold Jansen and Dr. Janice Newberry | 2 to 4 p.m., L1102

Oct. 19 | Between Imaginary and Real Islam in Europe and France: Professor Raphael Liogier
7:30 p.m., TH201

Oct. 20 | CAETL Graduate Student Workshop | The Multicultural Classroom with Dr. Hillary Rodrigues and Dr. Dayna Daniels | 1 to 2:30 p.m., TH143

Oct. 22 | Art Now: Curator Candice Hopkins | Noon, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Oct. 25 | Architecture & Design Now: Dr. Victoria Dickenson | 6 p.m., C610

Oct. 27 | Art Now: Curator and historian, Richard Hill | Noon, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Nov. 1 | Architecture & Design Now: Winnipeg architect, Neil Minuk
6 p.m., C610

Nov. 3 | Art Now: Anne Henderson
Noon, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Nov. 3 | WestGrid Seminar: Molecular Simulations of Biomolecules using GROMACS | Gurpreet Singh, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary
12:30 to 1:30 p.m., CRDC L1126

Nov. 5 | Art Now: Alison McTaggert
Noon, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Nov. 8 | Art Now: Photographer Lynne Cohen | Noon, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Nov. 8 | Architecture & Design Now: Calgary architect, Gerald Forseth
6 p.m., C610

Nov. 15 | Art Now: Daniel Young & Christian Giroux | Noon, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Nov. 15 | Architecture & Design Now: Furniture designers, Brothers Dressler | 6 p.m., C610

Performances

Oct. 14 | President's Choice
Honouring U of L President
Mike Mahon | 8 p.m., ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall

Oct. 15 | Art Gallery Open House
Behind the scenes at the Art Gallery 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Main Art Gallery

Oct. 19 | Music at Noon: Peter Visentin (violin) and Deanna Oye (piano) | 12:15 p.m., ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Oct. 19-23 | Uncommon Women and Others | By Wendy Wasserstein, five women reunite to discuss where their lives have led | 8 p.m. nightly, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre

Oct. 26 | Music at Noon: Akiko Tominga (piano) | 12:15 p.m.
��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Oct. 28-30 | TheatreXtra
The Good Egg By Michael Lewis MacLennan | 8 p.m. nightly, David Spinks Theatre, 2 p.m. matinee Oct. 30

Nov. 2 | Music at Noon: Joel Gray (trumpet); Dr. David Renter (piano); Elior Lawson (piano) | 12:15 p.m. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Nov. 5-6 | Opera Around the World
U of L Opera Workshop presents a world tour | 8 p.m. nightly
��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall

Nov. 9 | Music at Noon: Dr. Magdalena Adamek (piano) | 12:15 p.m. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)
Nov. 16 | Music at Noon: Musaeus String Quartet | 2:15 p.m., ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Recital Hall (W570)

Miscellaneous

Sept. 12 to Oct. 24
Shifting Myths
Helen Christou Gallery

Sept. 16 to Oct. 29 | Jamelie Hassan: At the Far Edge of Words
U of L Main Gallery

Oct. 13 | Jet Programme Information Session | Learn about opportunities to teach English in Japan
6 to 7 p.m., W646

Oct. 12-13 | Faculty Focus Groups
Contact Nicole Leusink at nicole.leusink@uleth.ca to participate
3 to 4:30 p.m. daily

Oct. 20 | Oldman Watershed Council Science Forum | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (registration 8:30 a.m.)
Students' Union Ballroom A& B

Plays and Prose Writing Competition
Submission deadline: Dec. 13 by 4 p.m.
Submit to Rebecca Gray, W850

UNews - Rebecca Gray

Recognizing the winners of the 2022 President's Awards for Service Excellence

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Events - November

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Events - October

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