UNews - Alix Blackshaw

Student undergraduate research award winners

trevor.kenney — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:55:09 +0000

Following are the 2010 Student Research Awards for undergraduate students. Please note that some awards might not be listed because the granting agency has not yet given the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ permission to publicly release the information.

AHFMR Summer Studentship Awards
(Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research)

Katie Areshenko, Biological Sciences (O. Kovalchuk)
Elfriede Dyck, Biological Sciences (R. Golsteyn)
Kristyn Kurio, Neuroscience (G. Metz)
Rajat Thapa, Neuroscience (R. Sutherland)
Saif Zahir, Neuroscience (B. Kolb)

Chinook Research Summer Awards

Lowell Ayers, Philosophy (T. Govier)
Lisa Boody, History (L. Kennedy)
Janelle Brodner, Modern Languages (N. Rosen)
Brett Clifton, History (A. Shaw)
Michael De Coste, Physics (B. Seyed-Mahmoud)
Laura Faber, Mathematics & Computer Science (H. Kadiri)
James Falconer, Sociology (A.Kazemipur)
Yang Li, Mathematics & Computer Science (N. Ng & A. Akbary)
Sheena MacInnis, Neuroscience (M. Tata)
Dominic Mudiayi, Chemistry & Biochemistry (H. J. Wieden)
Hugh Ramp, Mathematics & Computer Science (H. Kharaghani)
Dasha Reizvikh, Health Sciences (B. Lee)
Laura Richardson, Anthropology (J. Newberry)
Bethany Schmidt, Sociology (R. Wood)
Rachel Shields, Sociology (C. Malacrida)
Tyler Stewart, Fine Arts (A. Dymond)
Jennifer VanderFluit, Fine Arts (A. Dymond)
Sophia Vathracoulis, Chemistry & Biochemistry (P. Hayes)
Vanessa Wall, Health Sciences (B. Hagen)
Elizabeth Young, History (H. MacDonald)
Amber Zary, Sociology (T. Harrison)

NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards
(Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada)

Trystyn Berg, Physics & Astronomy (D. Naylor)
Darcy Best, Mathematics & Computer Science (K. Kharaghani)
Alix Blackshaw, Neuroscience (A. Iwaniuk)
Lisza Bruder, Chemistry & Biochemistry (S. Mosimann)
Mackenzie Coatham, Chemistry & Biochemistry (H. J. Wieden)
Adriena De Visser, Biological Sciences (B. Selinger)
Jarrod Dowdall, Neuroscience (M. Tata)
Shey Eagle Bear, Chemistry & Biochemistry (H. J. Wieden)
Melissa Ferrari, Neuroscience & Physics (A. Cross)
Jason Flindall, Psychology (D. Weeks)
Thomas Fox, Geography (C. Hugenholtz)
Andrea Glover, Chemistry & Biochemistry (P. Hayes)
Dillon Hambrook, Neuroscience (A. Luczak)
Tanner Heggie, Physics & Astronomy (D. Naylor)
Breanne Kamenz, Chemistry & Biochemistry (S. Wetmore)
Fern Leavens, Chemistry & Biochemistry (S. Wetmore)
Elizabeth Millions, Chemistry & Biochemistry (S. Wetmore)
Samuel Neale, Physics & Astronomy (D. Naylor)
Kirsten Rosler, Chemistry & Biochemistry (H. J. Wieden)
Keilan Scholten, Mathematics & Computer Science (A. Akbary)
Jordan Van Dyk, Biological Sciences (E. Schultz)

Alberta Cancer Foundation Studentship

Philip Kubara, Biological Sciences (R. Golsteyn)

2010 student research awards (undergraduate)

trevor.kenney — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:30:39 +0000

AHFMR Summer Studentship Awards
(Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research)

Chinook Research Summer Awards

NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards
(Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada)

Alberta Cancer Foundation Studentship

Philip Kubara, Biological Sciences (R. Golsteyn)

One final BillBoard - President Dr. Bill Cade

trevor.kenney — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:35:51 +0000

One of the first opportunities I had to communicate to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community came in the fall of 2001 when I penned the first ever Billboard in a brand new ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ publication, the Legend. As I prepare to leave my position as President of the U of L, I am pleased to have the opportunity to write one final Billboard, a fitting bookend to my time here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

There have been a lot of 'lasts' taking place over the past month and one of the more significant occasions was participating in my final convocation ceremony. I have found always that convocation is an excellent reaffirmation of what we do, day-in and day-out, here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Each ceremony is unique and one highlight this spring was seeing our first graduate of Ceremony 2 receive her degree. Alix Blackshaw was a very involved student on campus and worked diligently with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Rotaract Club. She, along with Kristina Larkin and Eva Gorny, were recently profiled in the Lethbridge Herald and embody the ideals we embrace here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. It is very satisfying to see our students take their role in life seriously, that they don't concentrate just on their books but they take what they've learned in the classroom and share their lessons outside with those less fortunate.

As many of you know, I do not wear hats, and especially convocation hats. For the past 10 years I had avoided wearing my official convocation hat during ceremonies, but Chancellor Richard Davidson made a point of noting that I was not "appropriately" attired during the final ceremony – I ultimately relented.

I want to thank George McIntosh in Facilities for mentioning that I had never had the opportunity to touch the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Mace. I was surprised and pleased to have Chief Marshal John Poulsen hand it to me as Elsa and I walked out in our final procession.

I also want to thank the Senate for bestowing upon Elsa the Senate Volunteer Award. Her contributions to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ over the last 10 years have been invaluable, and I could not have done any of this had it not been for her love and support.

Another significant event was the annual Paul Lewis Lunch. This is one of my favourite gatherings as it brings retirees back to campus and really drives home the community spirit we've fostered here at the U of L. This year we were thrilled to showcase Markin Hall to many of our former employees.

The official opening of Markin Hall this fall is one I'm looking forward to attending. While the date has not been finalized, if it can be co-ordinated before our trip to Mozambique in October, I will not let it open without me.

The many farewell wishes both Elsa and I have received have been fantastic. The goodbye events have been very warm, very gratifying, embarrassing, awkward at times, but more than anything, a lot of fun.

It has been a wonderful ride – I've said that many times and I'll go on saying that. I can't imagine a more satisfying time in my life in terms of the people, the things we worked on, and the recognition the U of L has received.

Wherever our travels and careers take us in the future, we will always be Pronghorns and members of the U of L community.

President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Bill Cade

Significant And Mentionable

trevor.kenney — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:46:27 +0000

Global connections

When you think of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's global reach, you might not initially think of a connection to the current war in Afghanistan. However, that's just where some members of the U of L student and alumni community are right now, based in Kandahar, Afghanistan, literally and figuratively one of the world's hot spots.

Bombardier Keenan Geiger (left) is a current fourth-year Edmonton campus management student majoring in Human Resources. Now taking a break from school, he is on a seven-month deployment in Afghanistan as a reserve member of the Canadian Forces. His unit is part of the 20th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, based in Edmonton. Geiger shows off a U of L flag with Cpl. Andrew McDonald (middle) who graduated in 2006 with a bachelor of arts in political science, and (right) Calgary police officer and Lt. Kevin Collier, who holds a bachelor of management degree in accounting, which he obtained in 2004. U of L alumnus Tyler Paynton (BA '07), a member of the 18th Air Defence Regiment in Lethbridge, is also serving in Afghanistan but was not able to be in the photograph.

To send a brief message to Geiger or his colleagues in Afghanistan, e-mail: sam@uleth.ca

Grading education

This past fall, U of L researcher and veteran educator Dr. Noella Piquette-Tomei was one of only a handful of Canadians invited to participate in the Return to Salamanca: Global Conference on Inclusive Education. There, she and fellow experts reviewed the Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education, an understanding signed by all members of the United Nations that pledges to further inclusive education, providing all children with opportunities to learn.

As a result of the conference, she has been asked to contribute to a case-study book that will be used across Canada by pre-service teachers and community workers for strategies when facing various disabilities.

Win President Bill Cade's car

Who is Michael Nolan? It's a question that's been murmured repeatedly around campus over the past few months. On Feb. 22, 2010, the surprising answer was revealed: a 1984 BMW 325e.

The car, which President Bill Cade bought brand new, was fondly named Michael Nolan after a distant family member who provided a trust fund for Cade's mother. In the spirit of giving back, Cade has donated the long-loved BMW to the Students' Union to be raffled off in support of student scholarships.

Tickets are $5 each or three for $12 and are on sale until the end of the semester, at a variety of functions, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays at the Students' Union office (SU180), the Advancement Office in ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall (A735) and the SU Service Centre in the SU Building.

For details about the car and to watch a video of President Bill Cade with Michael Nolan, visit: www.uleth.ca/unews/content/nolan-campaign-benefit-students

MythBusters prove science is cool

On Feb. 6, 2010, MythBusters Grant Imahara and Tory Belleci made a public presentation at the U of L as part of the Science Alberta Foundation's Science Happens Here program.

Those lucky enough to score tickets to the sold-out evening heard Belleci and Imahara speak candidly about their path to stardom, their craziest stunts and other personal trivia like favourite movies and songs on iTunes. But more importantly, audience members young and old were exposed to the fact that science has relevance.

"One of our founding goals was to encourage young Albertans to enter careers in science and technology, by fostering an interest in these areas," explains Dr. Arlene Ponting, CEO, Science Alberta Foundation. "We were pleased to work with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in delivering this unique event, as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ showcases some of the most innovative science in the province."

Chillin' for Charity

In late November, the student-run Jeux du Commerce (JDC) West 2010 Team hosted Chillin' for Charity, an

President Bill Cade takes a dip for charity.

event that raised approximately $15,000 for the United Way. Always willing to give back, U of L President Bill Cade was the first to jump into the icy cold water.

Whishaw earns prestigious ASTech award

Dr. Ian Whishaw, a founding member of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's pioneering neuroscience research group and a leader in behavioural neuroscience research internationally, was awarded the 2009 Alberta Science and Technology Outstanding Leadership in Alberta Science award.

Whishaw, who is among a select group of Alberta's top scientists and innovators to receive the award, is one of the top contributors to the field of behavioural neuroscience, and based on citations, is one of the 200 most influential neuroscientists in the world.

Mrazek presents at Copenhagen conference

In late December, Dr. Rick Mrazek returned from the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen where he was presenting his research on Rivers and Oceans and Water Under Fire. The topics of Mrazek's research include the negative impact of the northern Alberta tar sands, Canadian water consumption in relation to other countries, global assistance in terms of water and the dire state of the world's water supply.

Athletic accolades

On Nov. 5, 2009, fifth-year ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge fly-half/fullback Ashley Patzer was named player of the year in Canadian Interuniversity Sport women's rugby for the second time in her career. The five-foot-two Lethbridge native became the third double MVP since women's rugby was added to the CIS program in 1998.

Both Patzer and teammate Ashley MacDonald were named to the All-Canadian team. It is the second straight honour for MacDonald and fourth overall for Patzer.

U of L Pronghorns women's rugby coach, Neil Langevin, was also recognized. Langevin was the first coach from a Canada West women's rugby program to be named CIS coach of the year.

The girl in the picture

Kim Phuc graced the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge campus on Feb. 10, 2010, and shared a powerful message. Phuc, a Vietnamese-Canadian, is widely known as "the girl in the picture" for her role in an iconic photo taken during the Vietnam War.

On June 8, 1972, Phuc's village of Trang Bang came under attack by South Vietnamese planes, which mistakenly dropped napalm in an area where the North Vietnamese were infiltrating. While running for safety, nine-year-old Phuc was severely burned. The now famous photograph instantly became evidence of the cruelty of war toward child victims and a symbol of civilian suffering in war.

Nearly 40 years later, Phuc uses her experiences to advocate for peace and forgiveness. While on campus, she made a presentation to students and was the guest speaker at the 18th Annual International Dinner, A Celebration of Humanity.

U of L's iGEM team is golden

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge iGEM team won a gold medal at Massachusetts Institute of Technology iGEM International competition in Boston, Mass., at the end of October.

A total of 112 teams vied for gold, silver and bronze medals. Only 10 Canadian teams received gold medals, three of which went to teams in Alberta.

The iGEM competition is regarded as the premier undergraduate synthetic biology competition in North America. Student teams are given a kit of biological parts at the beginning of the summer from the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. Working at their own schools over the summer, they use these parts, along with new parts of their own design, to build biological systems. They then operate these systems in living cells.

The U of L team, led by Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, included Roxanne Shank, Alix Blackshaw, Lisza Bruder, Ashley Duncan, Fan Mo, Mackenzie Coatham, Megan Torry, Jeffrey Fischer and Kristen Rosler.

Daycare dream realized

It was a big day for some of the smallest members of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community. On Feb. 25, 2010, the U of L proudly celebrated the grand opening of its new Daycare. A long-envisioned dream, the $2 million project was completed on time and on budget. The facility, located near the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ residences, has space for 54 children and includes a large outdoor play area.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ moves up in rankings

In the 2009 Maclean's magazine annual ranking of Canadian universities, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge moved up one spot – from seventh to sixth – and retained its place in the top 10 listing of 22 primarily undergraduate institutions.

As well, the U of L maintained or increased its placement in 10 different measures, among them the amount of support for student services and scholarships and the number of awards per full-time faculty members.

While noteworthy results, the rankings do not include several items that show additional investment in student resources and do not reflect the U of L's focus on graduate studies.

"We increased our student scholarships and bursaries significantly, which increased our ranking, but those figures do not include an additional $2.4 million our students receive through the Alberta scholarship program," reminds U of L President Bill Cade. "As well, as we move forward with our strategic plan and continue to develop as a comprehensive research university, there's no accommodation for our dramatic increase in masters and doctoral candidates in our School of Graduate Studies."

In a separate national ranking focused on research, the U of L moved up three places as one of Canada's top 50 research universities. The results were released by Research Infosource Inc. and based on Statistics Canada data and the Research Infosource Canadian ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ R&D database.

With a 22 per cent increase in funding, well ahead of the national average of six per cent, the U of L's gain demonstrates the institution's strength in key research areas.

"During the reporting period (2007-08), our research funding increased from $13 million to more than $16 million, and moved us up from 38th to 35th place, in the middle range of the top 50 group," explains U of L Vice-President, Research, Dr. Dan Weeks.

"Our researchers should be extremely proud of this accomplishment – it is proof that the U of L is successfully moving forward in many directions. Even in a tough economy, we are seeing great success. I am pleased that we were among the top 15 universities to record significant percentages of overall research growth."

To view the entire issue of SAM in a flipbook format, visit this link.

U of L's iGEM team is golden

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:30:59 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge iGEM team won a gold medal at the iGEM International competition in Boston, Mass. at the end of October.

A total of 112 teams vied for gold, silver and bronze medals. Only 10 Canadian teams received gold medals, three of which went to teams in Alberta – ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta.

The iGEM competition is regarded as the premier undergraduate synthetic biology competition in North America. Student teams are given a kit of biological parts at the beginning of the summer from the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. Working at their own schools over the summer, they use these parts, along with new parts of their own design, to build biological systems. They then operate these systems in living cells.

The U of L team, led by Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden, included: Jeffrey Fischer, Alix Blackshaw, Lisza Bruder, Mackenzie Coatham, Ashley Duncan, Kirsten Rosler, Roxanne Shank and Megan Torry.

Students share Millenium Fund

trevor.kenney — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:23:42 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors recently recognized several students who received new scholarships from the Millennium Scholarship Fund. A total of 15 students shared $73,500 in new and renewed awards. The complete list of scholarship recipients is below.

Alix Blackshaw, BSc, 4th yr (renewal)
Courtney Cann, pre-BA/BEd, 3rd yr (renewal)
Teena Cormack, BA/BEd, 4th yr (renewal)
Gina Deitz BA, 1st yr (new)
Thomas Fox BSc, 3rd yr (new)
Samantha Gilbert, BSc, 2nd yr (new)
Chelsey Gorety, BA/BEd, 3rd yr (new)
Alisha Janiga, BSc/BEd, 3rd yr (new)
Carissa Johnson, pre-BFA (Art)/BEd, 1st yr (new)
Jesse Johnstone, BFA (New Media), 4th yr (renewal)
Randi McDonald, BA, 3rd yr (renewal)
Jerrim Rushka, BFA (New Media), 1st yr (new)
Bethany Schmidt, BA, 3rd yr (new)
Alysha Smith, pre-BMus/BEd, 1st yr (new)
Annette Vandekerkhove, BSc, 1st yr (new)

Microcredit program has its rewards

trevor.kenney — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:39:40 +0000

With increasing financial burdens being placed on students, it is quickly becoming less economically feasible for many to participate in projects and experiences beyond a standard post-secondary education.
The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union (ULSU), through its travel and conference grant program, strives to enable student participation in activities that may not otherwise be financially viable. Recently, the ULSU helped finance a trip to Costa Rica for four Rotaract Club members who assisted a microcredit (small loan) project.
Jason Pan became involved in the microcredit project because he saw it as much more than a volunteer opportunity.
"I see a lot of myself in the people we help," says Pan, a fifth year ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge biology student. "My parents do not come from well-to-do backgrounds and in a sense, helping others is akin to helping people like my parents live and achieve their goals."
Rotaract holds an international fundraiser each year; last year the organization began the microcredit project in Costa Rica. Without microcredit programs, countless impoverished individuals worldwide, unable to gain access to traditional financial credit, would likely never exit poverty.
"It was incredibly meaningful to be able to visit the community and interact with the people who will benefit from the money that we raised," says Alix Blackshaw, a third-year ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge neuroscience student, who also participated in the project. "To see the help we can bring to their community really shows that a few dedicated students and some hard work can make a huge difference."
Projects like this are testament to the significance of student involvement in extra-curricular endeavours complimentary to a post-secondary education.
"��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is about experiencing new things and capitalizing on new opportunities," says Adam Vossepoel, ULSU president. "Through travel and conference grants, we facilitate this growth and allow students to move beyond their academic agendas to participate in international projects or events relevant to their education."
Brianne Rohovie is the ULSU Communications Coordinator

UNews - Alix Blackshaw

Student undergraduate research award winners

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2010 student research awards (undergraduate)

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One final BillBoard - President Dr. Bill Cade

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Significant And Mentionable

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U of L's iGEM team is golden

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Students share Millenium Fund

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Microcredit program has its rewards

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