UNews - North Bay

Goater helps breathe new life into textbook

trevor.kenney — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 17:45:09 +0000

An internationally recognized textbook on parasites has received a substantial upgrade due to the efforts of a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge biologist, his brother and an American colleague.

Dr. Cam Goater, his brother and an American colleague spent eight years rewriting The second edition of Parasitism - The Diversity and Ecology of Animal Parasites.

The second edition of Parasitism: The Diversity and Ecology of Animal Parasites, published by Cambridge ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Press, is the result of years of work performed by the U of L’s Dr. Cam Goater (biological sciences), his brother Dr. Timothy Goater from Vancouver Island ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and Gerald Esch of Wake Forest ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in North Carolina.

Canadian, American and European faculty members are already using the 2014 text, aimed at senior undergraduate students.

“The first edition of the book accomplished a great deal. It was a text used heavily by professors and students in North America and around the world including Malaysia, and Japan. But it was significantly out-of-date,” says Goater. “The text has been completely rewritten. It is more conceptual and theoretical than it was before.”

Early reviews of the text are glowing.

The Goater brothers were approached by Cambridge eight years ago about creating a second version of the text. After years of writing and revisions the result is an encompassing product.

“There are texts available that deal with the diversity of parasites and those that tackle their ecology. This is the first text to offer a synthesis of both components,” says Goater, adding that the text will be valuable for students focusing on disciplines including biology, immunology, evolution, conservation biology and medical sciences.

The early reviews of the text are glowing. The book has been described by peers as “a true parasitological tour de force” and that “even the pros will learn from this book”. For Goater, the positive reception by his colleagues has made the years of work worth the effort, adding that he hopes the text becomes a valuable tool that will inspire students around the globe for many years.

Goater and his brother were born in Moose Factory, Ont. and grew up in North Bay. With nature as their playground, the two developed a love of ecology and biology. The brothers were eventually mentored by the same professor, the late Dr. Al Bush (a co-author of the original textbook), at Brandon ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

“Many people are curious as to how brothers end up in the same field. Certainly, our love of nature was inspired by our surroundings and we were fortunate to share a mentor, but our proximity in age (three years) also played a role,” says Goater.

Goater recalls a childhood incident, when he and his brother were teens, and they came across a sickly fox. In trying to help, the boys brought the fox home not knowing the animal was rabid. While the brothers had to undergo intramuscular injections of the prophylactic drug available at the time, they started to question why the fox was infected, why other animals weren’t, and how it was possible that a disease could change the demeanour of an animal. It is this complexity and their fascination with the phenomenon of parasitism that provides the focus of their text.

The enthusiasm the Goater brothers shared as youth has translated into their enthusiasm for teaching, benefitting students at both the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Vancouver Island ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Andy Hakin says the release of this new text is emblematic of the type of university the U of L has become.

“Certainly this new text is an excellent career accomplishment for Dr. Goater and the knowledge contained within will benefit students for decades. However, more compelling to me is the experience Dr. Goater’s students are subject to in his class. Dr. Goater isn’t just teaching from a textbook – he wrote the textbook,” says Hakin.

Book Overview

Two core philosophies underlie the second edition of ‘Parasitism’, co-authored by Tim Goater, Cam Goater, and Jerry Esch. The first is that complex interactions that occur between parasites and their hosts – from the molecular cross-talk that occurs at the host-parasite interface, to the effects of parasites on host communities – are fundamentally ecological. The second is that a real appreciation for the phenomenon of parasitism requires knowledge of how natural selection has shaped parasite life cycles, life histories, and morphologies to solve particular problems associated with the parasitic lifestyle. Thus, for senior undergraduates that are being introduced to the phenomenon of parasitism in animals, the authors see a need for a single text with dual focus on the biodiversity and ecology/evolution of parasites. This dual, interdisciplinary approach, under one cover, is the hallmark of the text. The 17 chapters, eight of which are new since the first edition, have been thoroughly revised to meet the needs of a new generation of parasitology students, whether their interests lie in ecology, conservation biology, evolution, immunology, medical, wildlife, or veterinary sciences.

Cooper enthused about opportunity

trevor.kenney — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 21:59:20 +0000

The Prairies beckoned and Dr. Craig Cooper answered the call.

The new dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has studied and worked throughout the country, with experiences at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Winnipeg and Nipissing ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Ontario. Given the chance to return to the Prairies, however, was too good an opportunity for Cooper to pass up.

“Part of my reasoning was to return to the West and specifically the Prairies,” says Cooper, who began his five-year appointment on July 1.

Born and raised in Oshawa, Ont., he moved with his parents to the Northwest Territories as a 16-year-old, finishing his high school education there before beginning his post-secondary education at the U of A.

“The major reason I looked at this position though was the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and its really strong reputation, specifically its very strong record of research,” he adds. “The thing I really like about the U of L is that it seems to still have a commitment to excellence in teaching and for me, I’ve always liked that balance.”

Dr. Craig Cooper has built his research career around the study of Athenian law.

A strong proponent of liberal education, Cooper comes to a university that, on first glance, shares many similarities with Nipissing, where he spent the last five years as the Dean of Arts & Sciences.

“The difference is that I think this faculty and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ itself is much more mature, whereby Nipissing is a very young university,” he says. “I think the U of L has made great strides in the area of research, particularly on the science side, and with a much larger faculty, I think it’s a very exciting and innovative place to be.”

Cooper’s own research is around Athenian law and he has a major project in the works that examines the architecture and archaeological aspects of Athenian law as well as the dynamics of an Athenian citizen as they would move through the court system.

He has always enjoyed teaching and admits it is difficult to step back from teaching to work in an administrative role.

“I’ve been fortunate that when I was associate dean, I taught, and when I was Dean at Nipissing I was also able to teach a couple courses. I enjoy teaching very much and maybe I’ll have an opportunity here,” he says. “You go into this career never thinking you’re going to be a dean. Certain things happen along the way, you find you are good at dealing with people and administrative activities and so you move into that role. Then, partly you think, I could keep complaining down in the ranks or I could try and do something about it.”

Cooper is keenly aware of the task that awaits him. He takes over at a time when the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is facing difficult budgetary decisions, is wrestling with its own interpretation of liberal education and is aggressively contending with student retention issues.

“Retention will be a major focus over the next few years and I think some work needs to be done on the front of liberal education, and I have some ideas on that I think we’ll try to explore,” says Cooper.

One such idea is the establishment of a cohort system whereby students take a number of courses together as a cohort, all around a central theme.

“The courses they take would all be disciplinary, so it wouldn’t affect their aspirations of going into a particular discipline, and the courses are tailored to whatever theme their cohort is associated with. Maybe it’s a way to kind of revitalize that liberal education concept.”

What Cooper plans on doing over the first few months of his tenure is listening.

“I do like to consult widely and I do seek advice from people readily, particularly when you come into a new institution,” he says. “I also like to empower people to do things. Once we’ve decided on a direction, I trust people and try and give them the support they need to work toward our goals.”

Right now, he’ll work on settling into the community, awaiting the arrival of his wife (who remains in North Bay, Ont. trying to sell their house) and his mother.

“I like the size of the community. Lethbridge offers pretty much everything you want, large enough in that regard but small enough where you can get to know people,” he says. “I think there are opportunities for myself to really get engaged with the community through participation on local boards and so forth and I think that is important.”

GET THE FACTS

• Cooper’s appointment as Dean runs from July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2018

• Cooper is a member of the American Philological Association, the Association of Ancient Historians and the Classical Association of Canada

• He received the 2007 Robin H. Farquhar Award for Excellence in Contributing to Self Governance

• An avid squash player and cyclist, he also plans to get back in the water with his kayak while living in southern Alberta

• His son, Chris, will remain in North Bay to finish his schooling at Nipissing ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, while his daughter, Alyssa, and her husband are teachers in Rocky Mountain House, Alta.

Shepard settling into new role

trevor.kenney — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:17:20 +0000

She comes with a big-time resumé and reputation and yet it's the small-town, small-school setting in which she thrives. Dr. Blythe Shepard seems a perfect fit for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge – and vice versa.

Just wrapping up her first year at the U of L, Shepard, an associate professor in the Faculty of Education, came to Lethbridge from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria. It was there she finished her master's and doctorate degrees (educational psychology) and had settled into a faculty position. Ironically, as Shepard helped grow UVic's research reputation and graduate programming, she found herself part of an institution that took her away from her teaching roots.

"Victoria used to be where Lethbridge is now, but it's moved into a much more research focused institution, more of a business model, and I found I was doing a little less teaching than I wanted," Shepard says.

"Being at a small school, working with smaller numbers, that seems to fit more with my style."

Invigorated with a new challenge, Shepard has been quick to contribute to the U of L's MEd (Counselling Psychology) program and the Master of Counselling program. Specifically, she's helping to overhaul the Campus Alberta Applied Psychology (CAAP) program.

"It needs to be revamped, so we're looking at all the courses," she says. "My colleagues and I are making revisions to them and making them more Lethbridge oriented and something that is unique for our students.

"Many of our students are mature students who are already out there practicing but they lack the credentials. They've probably been out of school for a while, so making that transition back into university is a pretty big step for them."

Shepard knows of what she speaks, because she was that student, coming back to school to pursue her master's degree as a single working mother in her mid-40s.

"I understand that aspect and having to juggle family responsibilities and a job you don't want to give up, all while going to school," she says.

It's no surprise many of Shepard's research initiatives revolve around this same theme. A native of small-town Ontario (she grew up in a rural setting near North Bay), Shepard offers a unique perspective. She did the majority of her undergraduate psychology degree through distance learning from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Waterloo. Her education and career path were moulded around the challenges of raising and providing for a young family in a rural setting.

Upon arriving on campus, Shepard applied for and received a Community of Research Excellence Development Opportunities (CREDO) grant to research the career paths of women and even more specifically, those in a rural setting.

"Most of the career theory out there is around men's career paths and women's are quite different," Shepard says. "Their paths are quite disrupted, at times, around family considerations. And for most women I've researched with, relationships are very important and they want work that is relationship-based.

"There's a lot more complexity to women's career paths."

Shepard has also collaborated with Dr. Priya Mani of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba as they embark on a three-part project to develop a Canadian career-counselling textbook. For that, she's also enlisted the U of L's Allison Roest of the Counselling Services Office.

"We're trying to find out what career educators across Canada would like in a textbook and then who would be interested in contributing to it," she says. "Allison has an expertise in that area so it's great we're able to work with her. What I'm really liking about the U of L is that it's small enough here that I'm starting to make connections very quickly."

It's the kind of fit that is already proving beneficial to both.

GET THE FACTS

• Shepard is one of 12 directors to the National Board of the Canadian Counselling Association, taking over the Alberta/NWT position from Dr. Kris Magnusson

• She is also co-chair of the Inter-Provincial Mobility for the Counselling Profession: Phase 1. Its mandate is the further establishment of regulatory colleges for Canadian counsellors to create more uniformity throughout the country

• An avid hiker, she has enjoyed exploring the coulees around Lethbridge and making day trips to Waterton

• Before going back to pursue her master's degree in 1995, she was teaching and performing administrative duties at an alternative school in British Columbia

• She has three children, all living in Victoria, with two attending the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria

UNews - North Bay

Goater helps breathe new life into textbook

Related Topics

Cooper enthused about opportunity

Related Topics

Shepard settling into new role

Related Topics