UNews - ULAA Honour Society

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association inducts six into Alumni Honour Society

trevor.kenney — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 19:44:37 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association is pleased to recognize those who have achieved significant accomplishments by inducting six new members into the Alumni Honour Society. This year’s inductees span discipline and region, and their shared commitment to bettering society has propelled each of them towards greatness.

“This year’s inductees are strong examples of how our alumni make a difference in their communities,” says Jason Elliott, president of the ULAA. “Each of our recipients has taken their education at the U of L and built diverse careers with substantial impact. We’re so proud to recognize their efforts.”

Introduced in honour of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s 35th Anniversary in 2002, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association established the Alumni Honour Society to recognize the achievements of a select group of alumni each year. The individuals honoured serve as role models through success in their vocation, outstanding community service or superior accomplishment in their avocation.

Like those before them, the 2020 inductees are outstanding examples of U of L alumni. Each of the individuals used the knowledge they gained at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to achieve their personal and professional goals, and through these achievements has left a lasting impact on the people, organizations and communities with which they are involved.

2020 Alumni Honour Society Inductees

Roxanne Dicke (BFA ‘93)

Roxanne Dicke

Roxanne Dicke’s accomplishments include founding a theatre company (Spark Theatre), chairing the Prince Albert Arts Board and integrating arts through engagement of diverse groups. Using theatre as a medium for education, Dicke is committed to shining a spotlight on human rights, social justice and gender equality. Her work as an instructor, writer, director and actor extends towards prioritizing space for marginalized voices, including Indigenous artists and survivors of domestic violence. Her passion and commitment to youth and post-secondary drama education inspires her to expand access to arts education throughout the community. Armed with an unwavering advocacy for the positive impact of the arts, Roxanne believes that artists, youth and community members gain confidence and skills from theatre to engage in powerful creativity.

Angela Grace (BFA/BEd ‘96, MEd ‘03)

Angela Grace

Dr. Angela Grace’s passion for preventing eating disorders, trauma and burnout has guided her career as a registered psychologist. Combining her love of theatre, teaching and well-being, she has advocated for youth mental health and eating disorder prevention for over 20 years. Throughout her career, Grace has explored going beyond traditional talk therapy and into holistic approaches that balance body, mind, spirit and relationships. The culmination of her work thus far may best be found in her leadership in creating Evening of Hope, a performance evening where people who have recovered from eating disorders share their stories through art, theatre and performance. She readily advocates for the value of creativity-driven healing and frequently shares her work with students and professionals worldwide.

Michael (Scott) Greer (BSc ‘05, MSc ‘08)

Scott Greer

A leader in the emerging field of cannabis biotechnology, Scott Greer is on the cutting edge of global innovation. As the Senior Director of Operations with Willow Biosciences, a company using synthetic biology to redesign yeast strains to produce cannabinoids, Greer bridges the realms of science and business. Expertly coordinating funding, operations and research teams is all in a day’s work for Greer, and his vision plays a key role in economic and environmental sustainability. He also combines his love of science with teaching, and has spent much of his career overseeing and mentoring biotechnology students. His boundless curiosity fuels his passion, and it is clear that Greer’s academic and professional contributions will impact the world for years to come.

Briana Koop (BA ‘09)

Briana Koop

When Briana Koop found herself seeking supports for families facing infant loss, she struggled to find adequate resources. She was inspired to collaborate with other determined individuals to co-found Empty Arms Perinatal Loss Support Services, which assists families experiencing pregnancy loss and/or infant death. She frequently organizes events and engages local media to generate awareness, bring families together and raise funds. Koop combines her love of photography with her devotion to the non-profit organization by volunteering to take remembrance and memorial photographs for people facing this grief, which are often the only moments families are able to capture. Her tireless work to make a positive impact in her community has built resiliency and strength in the face of difficult loss.

Dale Leffingwell (BASc (BA) ‘71)

Dale Leffingwell

Dale Leffingwell’s dedication to preserving histories unique to rural communities is exceptional. Retiring from a career as a youth worker, he has volunteered his time with local museums and historical societies for over a decade. As the founding president of the Milk River Historical Society, Leffingwell secured dedicated museum space, led the conservation and renovation of the Northwest Mounted Police Barracks and hosted workshops for students and community members with the Centre for Oral History and Tradition. From raising funds to rallying the community to come together, Leffingwell leads with passion and an infectious enthusiasm. This, coupled with his dedication to sharing the stories and history of the Milk River region, ensures future generations will understand the importance of protecting local history.

Perry Stein (BA ‘09)

Perry Stein

Building strong relationships is at the core of Perry Stein. As the first-ever Indigenous Relations Advisor for the City of Lethbridge, Stein integrates community planning and reconciliation to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples together. Having led the first broad survey of Indigenous heritage in the city, his work explores topics previously overlooked by the community planning profession, including the incorporation of Indigenous Traditional Knowledge and the meaningful engagement of Indigenous peoples and communities. Stein is a leader in advancing the conversation around industry’s role in reconciliation, and he frequently shares his knowledge with local and global communities. His level of dedication to this work, coupled with his experience in the public sector, has set the stage for years of vital growth and change across communities.

Chandler brings history, experience to Alumni post

trevor.kenney — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:45:40 +0000

It was 1969, a year of firsts; Bryan Adams got his 'first real six-string', Neil Armstrong took humanity's first steps on the moon and Don Chandler (BASc '73), ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association (ULAA) president and partner at Meyers Norris Penny LLP, became the first person in his family to attend university.

"None of my family had ever gone to university. Most of them didn't even finish high school so going to university was not an expectation, but I was quite academically inclined and it just seemed natural to proceed on to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ," Chandler remembers.

Attending the two-year-old institution, Chandler's campus experience was quite different from that of today's students.

"When I started, U-hall did not exist and the campus was at the college site. We went from trailer to trailer for classes. I remember it was very small, only about 800 students and there were not a lot of places to do anything. We used the college library and our basketball games were at the Civic Centre downtown."

While some may have argued such a small institution could not possibly offer a good education, Chandler disagrees. Majoring in geography, he knew all his professors by name.

"They knew us so well that if we didn't perform to their expectations we did not get a good mark. I had senior courses with only four students, so you could not pull the wool over the professors' eyes," laughs Chandler. "It challenged me to work hard and do better."

An avid curler, Chandler got involved with the campus curling club and uncovered a passion for community involvement that would become a way of life.

"I was introduced to the sport in Grade 10 and began curling competitively right away. I became president of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ curling club during my second year and found out that I had abilities to organize groups and events, follow through with them and make them successful," Chandler explains. "I have done a lot of that since then."

Indeed, he has. Chandler received his chartered accountant designation in Edmonton in 1977. He and his wife Nadine then returned to Lethbridge where he would begin his accounting career, and his reputation as a driving force in the community.

"When I moved back, I immediately got involved with the Lethbridge Curling Club executive. I have been the treasurer for many years and was the president in 1985-86. I was involved in organizing the high school curling league in 2000 and still coach at the high school level. I also coached my children in curling and Little League," Chandler says. "Coaching is something I always enjoyed and it fit nicely into my other community activities."

Chandler's community service, which involves many organizations, also includes the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. After two terms on ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Senate, Chandler got involved with the ULAA (��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association) in 2008 and was elected president of the organization in June 2009.

"There has been a lot of growth in the ULAA in the last few years, and we have seen a lot of support from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. I would like to see that continue," Chandler says. "I would encourage alumni to volunteer at activities or participate in events such as the John Gill Memorial Golf tournament. Getting involved will not only increase the association's visibility, it will help maintain the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's role as a vital part of our community."

GET THE FACTS

• Commercial Men's Slowpitch League treasurer for 10 years

• Coached the Alberta Junior Girls' Curling Championship Team (2006)

• Treasurer on the executive for McMan Youth Family and Community Services Association (ends this month) as well as board chair from 2003 to 2005

• Also involved with the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce and United Way

• Canadian Curling Association's Volunteer of the Year for Alberta (2001)

• Inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame (2009)

• ULAA Honour Society member (2005)

UNews - ULAA Honour Society

��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association inducts six into Alumni Honour Society

Related Topics

Chandler brings history, experience to Alumni post

Related Topics

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association inducts six into Alumni Honour Society