UNews - Randy Kobbert

Founder of Uphill Both Ways to receive this year’s Young Alumnus Achievement Award

caroline.zentner — Tue, 28 Mar 2017 17:30:15 +0000

Janelle Pritchard (BN ’12), recipient of this year’s Young Alumnus Achievement Award, wants to reassure new alumni not to worry if they don’t have everything in their lives planned out.

“For me, the biggest thing I’ve come to appreciate is that you don’t need to have it all figured out. Just trust in the journey,” says Pritchard.

That approach led her to establish Uphill Both Ways, a non-profit organization that has helped people in Nepal by funding the building of new schools and a hydroelectric plant and providing school supplies for hundreds of children. Plans are underway to build another school and, during her last visit in October 2015, Uphill Both Ways also set up health camps in conjunction with a hospital in Bhaktapur. Pritchard hopes to continue this work by bringing Canadian doctors and nurses to Nepal one day.

Janelle Pritchard (BN '12) is this year's recipient of the Young Alumnus Achievement Award.

“Uphill Both Ways has taken on a life of its own. It all happened very naturally. A lot of the time I just feel like I’m along for the ride,” she says. “All this work in Nepal has happened just because I’ve been open to opportunity.”

Her dedication and leadership in founding and sustaining Uphill Both Ways has inspired others and has made a difference in the world. Her passion for helping the people of Nepal is infectious. For these reasons and more, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association (ULAA) is pleased to honour Pritchard with the Young Alumnus Achievement Award for 2017.

“We are very proud to recognize Janelle with the Young Alumnus Achievement Award,” says Randy Kobbert (BMgt ’86), president of the ULAA. “Not only does she demonstrate excellence in her career as a nurse, she has shown true leadership in her humanitarian work in Nepal.”

“I was definitely shocked,” says Pritchard. “When I found out, I was honoured. But it seems kind of crazy because there are a lot of really incredible people out there.”

Pritchard, who works as an operating room nurse at Rocky View Hospital in Calgary, was born and raised in Lethbridge. After graduating from high school, she wanted to spend a year backpacking in Australia. When she was preparing for the trip, her father told her about a hiking trip to Nepal being organized by a friend.

“He suggested doing some father-daughter bonding in the Himalayas and starting my trip off with a little bit of hiking in Nepal before I went to Australia,” she says. “The Nepal trip was kind of a fluke chance.”

The trip proved to be life-changing and Nepal and its people captured a place in her heart. A teacher in their hiking group expressed interest in seeing the school in a village and their trekking guide, who knew someone involved with the school, arranged a visit.

“They took us to this little shack. There were a couple of benches that the older kids could sit on, but the younger kids were sitting on the floor,” says Pritchard. “They had an old chalkboard but they couldn’t afford chalk. They had nothing. Seeing that was eye-opening. At the end of our trip, we all just pitched in a bit of money and we were able to buy tons of school supplies and then pay for a couple of men to carry it all on their backs up to this village. I saw how easy it was to make change and make a difference in somebody else’s life. We were told the headmaster cried when the stuff arrived. Seeing that impact just kind of sparked things.”

Pritchard has made four more trips to Nepal, one of them a few months after the earthquake in April 2015. Uphill Both Ways remains a small organization of five people, consisting of family members, friend Drew Andreachuk, and a contact in Nepal.

“Our contact on the ground, he was my original trekking guide, and it’s because of him that all this is possible,” says Pritchard. “Getting to be a part of their world for a little bit is pretty magical. I think my relationship with Nepal is going to be a lifelong one. It’s become my home away from home.”

To determine where the greatest need exists, the guide holds community meetings to figure out what’s most needed and if the community is willing to help by providing labour. Little by little, Uphill Both Ways has built trust within the Nepalese communities.

The skills and knowledge she gained during her time at the U of L have given her a foundation and proven their value halfway around the world.

“This isn’t a place where you come to get all the answers; it’s where you come to learn how to ask the big questions and to understand why they matter,” says Pritchard.

Renowned composer, educator Dr. Andrew Staniland named 2015 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year

trevor.kenney — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 16:16:50 +0000

Renowned as a rising star in both the worlds of music and academia, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumnus Dr. Andrew Staniland (BMus ’00) has been named the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association’s 2015 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.

Dr. Andrew Staniland, currently a professor of music at Memorial ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Newfoundland (MUN), has been on the fast track of Canada’s music scene from the day he graduated from the U of L.

“We’re thrilled to be able to recognize the impact that Andrew has made on the music world and as an educator with the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year award,” says Randy Kobbert (BMgt ’86), president of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association. “In just a few short years since graduating from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, he has carved out a very impressive career and is sought after as one of Canada’s truly elite composers. That he found his passion here at the U of L and it served as a launching pad for his professional aspirations speaks to his educational experience and the opportunities it allowed him to pursue.”

Staniland, currently a professor of music at Memorial ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Newfoundland (MUN), has been on the fast track of Canada’s music scene from the day he graduated from the U of L. During his master’s studies at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto, his compositions were already attracting attention and requests for commissions began to pile up.

His compositions have received numerous awards and accolades. In 2009, he won the National Grand Prize of the CBC Composers Competition. In 2014, he received the Harry Freedman Recording Award and was elected to the inaugural cohort of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists Royal Society of Canada.

“I’m in the enviable position of being able to pick and choose projects that interest me,” says Staniland, who has been booked solid with commissions since 2002.

Unlike many contemporary Canadian composers whose works are performed once and then languish in obscurity, Staniland has amassed more than 100 national and international performances of his work and been chosen to represent Canada at prestigious festivals in Poland, France and Hong Kong. The fact that his works, whether electronic, chamber, vocal or orchestral, have received multiple performances and broadcasts is a true testament to the musicality and broad appeal of his compositions.

“In my experience, love and passion for creativity are totally contagious, as is the pursuit of musical mastery,” he says. “I was moved and inspired by my teachers who had these traits, and I now have the privilege of inspiring others the same way, through my music and my teaching.”

A well-respected professor of music at MUN, Staniland’s creative activities earned him the President’s Award for Outstanding Research in 2014.

Staniland is currently working on a song cycle for the Brooklyn Art Song Society, which will premiere in New York next year and tour across Canada in 2016 and 2017.

Andrew Staniland will be recognized for his outstanding professional accomplishments at the Fall 2015 Convocation ceremony on Saturday, October 17, 2015. A concert featuring a selection of Dr. Staniland’s work will be performed by faculty from the U of L’s Department of Music on Friday, October 16 at 7 p.m. Tickets are free and can be reserved through the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Box Office online at ulethbridge.ca/tickets or by phone at 403-329-2616.

New ULAA president looks to further engage alumni

trevor.kenney — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 15:50:08 +0000

The new ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association president understands the value of a community.

“I love growth, development and opportunity. Anything I can do to make things better for my community, for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ or my neighbourhood, I try to get involved in,” explains Grant Adamson (BSc ’03), who was elected as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni Association’s 26th president in July.

“Community involvement has been an unwritten part of my family philosophy forever; that goes back to growing up on a farm. Being on a farm is not a place where you can grow or develop on your own. You need community,” says Adamson. “About 10 years back we received a farm century award. It was pretty important to our family and community, but when I graduated from high school I wanted to see who I was away from the farm. Someone suggested I would be a good teacher, so I researched and found that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge had an excellent program for teachers and chose to come to Lethbridge.”

Grant Adamson, with his wife Rebecca, at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Donor Gala

Adamson, however, discovered he had no desire to teach, so in his second year he switched his studies to biology. That same year, he developed a severe case of mononucleosis and was subsequently unable to take a full course load for the next several years. It was then that he truly experienced the fellowship and support found within the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community.

“I was a very strong student academically going into university, but when I found myself suffering academically due to my health, I relied on services provided by the U of L. I sought out help when I needed it and I found it all over the place,” he says. “I became involved with the Organization of Residence Students, the Students’ Union and the curling club. My residence experience was particularly impactful because I got to be a part of governance and make a difference, which I loved. I also met my wife Rebecca (BA/BEd ’99, MEd ’09) and her friend Janet, who would later become my sister-in-law. Being involved in extra-curricular activities was very fulfilling and kept me going until I was well enough to take on full course loads.”

As he began to take more advanced theoretical courses, Adamson could not imagine himself being confined to working in labs for the rest of his life. He began to wonder if it was time to take a small turn in his academic direction once again.

“After exiting from the C-stairwell on 7th, I’d always turned left toward the bio-tech labs. One day, I felt drawn to the geography labs so I turned right instead! I sat there for about an hour reading the presentation boards about the projects and research going on in the department. I saw displays about things I cared about and it played to my roots. That fall, I switched my program to geography. Finally, I could look to the future and visualize what my life would look like.”

Adamson graduated in 2003 and began his career in the oil industry, working in environmental sciences. After the project he was working on shut down, he spent several years pursuing an interest in real estate investment, but his agricultural heritage always beckoned. In 2007, everything came together when Adamson began working with hybrid canola seed production at Monsanto Canada Inc. It was the perfect combination of biotechnology and agriculture all in one. Three years later, Adamson accepted a position at Dow AgroSciences where he continues to work as their lead agronomist for canola seed production in southern Alberta, the Pacific Northwest and Chile. One of his secondary duties is liaising with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, recruiting students to work with Dow AgroSciences as summer interns and potentially as long-term employees.

“The hybrid canola seed industry relies heavily on student interns in the summer, as it is extremely busy during this season,” says Adamson, who is happy to support students through his work and as a member of the ULAA. “The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is a great supplier of excellent students who have a background in, or knowledge of, agriculture, or who are willing to learn about it.”
Adamson became involved with the ULAA in 2005. He has served as a director, treasurer and vice-president and was elected as president in July.

“I got involved with the association because I missed the connection with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Participation with the ULAA is a great way for alumni to foster and maintain that link. As part of the executive, I have seen the association become increasingly involved in the community and take on a more formal role. My goal is to lead the maturation and formality process. With 36,480 alumni coming of age in the workforce, we are at a tipping point. I encourage alumni to reconnect and get involved. We want to hear about your stories, your successes and your adventures.”

GET THE FACTS

• Adamson is very proud of his family connection to the U of L – his wife Rebecca (BA/BEd ’99, MEd ’09), sister-in-laws Janet Adamson (BA/BEd ’00), Lauren Adamson (BSc ‘ 04) and brother Lowell Adamson (BSc ’04) are all a part of the alumni family

• Adamson has been a member of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Senate since 2011

• A former member of the board of directors for the Youth Federation of Canada, Adamson also serves as a construction volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, of which his wife is the organization’s local vice-chair

• The 2013 ULAA Executive consists of Adamson as president, vice-president Randy Kobbert (BMgt ’86), past president Kathy Lewis (BN ’83, MEd ’99), treasurer Jason Baker (BMgt ’02) and secretary Sharon Malec (BEd ’73)

UNews - Randy Kobbert

Founder of Uphill Both Ways to receive this year’s Young Alumnus Achievement Award

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Renowned composer, educator Dr. Andrew Staniland named 2015 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year

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New ULAA president looks to further engage alumni

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