UNews - player

Pronghorns women's rugby team kicks off season

trevor.kenney — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 17:49:55 +0000

For the first time since 2007, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s rugby team enters the Canada West season as the hunter and not the hunted after seeing their reign of six consecutive conference championships snapped in 2012.

The ‘Horns will not have a home game until the Canada West Championships and will play all four of their conference games on the road, starting this weekend with a trip to the west coast to face the Victoria Vikes and UBC Thunderbirds.

In addition to losing their conference crown, the ‘Horns also had their 22-game conference winning streak snapped in the process, losing to the Calgary Dinos 31-18 during the regular season. It was the Dinos who also put an end to the ‘Horns' reign as conference champions, beating the U of L 33-32 in a thrilling Canada West semifinal.

Heading into the 2013 season, the ‘Horns will need to fill some key holes left by the departure of five-time Canada West all-star Brandi Van Eeuwen, fly half Laura Murphy-Burke, scrum half Alex Hendricks and heart and soul leader Kendra Reeves. Despite these departures, the cupboard is far from bare with the return of 2013 Canada U20 members Sarah Gordon and Ashley Delaney. Add in team captain Jillian Ankutowicz, Kim Leavitt, Tiffany Wideen and Lindsey Duxbury, and the leadership group will be solid.

Newcomers Allison Toews and Lisa Hildebrand have also impressed early for the ‘Horns.

The ‘Horns' first opponent, the Victoria Vikes, will look to rebound from last season’s winless campaign and welcome a fresh, elite group of recruits to the fold. The Vikes boast 15 new members, 11 of whom competed provincially this past summer.

The UBC Thunderbirds enter the 2013 Canada West women’s rugby season with a new coach in Maria Gallo, who is working to replicate the success she enjoyed as a player at both Guelph ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta. The former national team member won three CIS championships and was named the CIS Most Valuable Player in 2002.

Gallo takes over a relatively young squad that returns most of its players from last season, which ended with a loss in the Canada West bronze medal game. There are no fifth-year seniors on the roster, but there is a large group of third- and fourth-year players who will provide leadership.

The Canada West Championships will be hosted by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Oct. 18-20 at the
U of L Community Sports Stadium.

Horns bolstered by Kodiak recruits

trevor.kenney — Tue, 28 May 2013 16:02:17 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns head coach Mike Hansen has begun re-tooling the men's basketball roster with the signing of a pair of ACAC all-stars from the Lethbridge College Kodiaks.

Hansen announced the signing of southern Alberta products Rob Olsen and Jared Baker on Monday afternoon, wlecoming a pair of players whom Hansen previously coached at Lethbridge College during the 2009-2010 season. Olsen and Baker then embarked on their two year missions for the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints. This past fall, both returned to the Kodiaks program and did not miss a beat, finishing one-two in team scoring.

Both Olsen and Baker have also excelled in the classroom, with each being named CCAA Academic All-Canadians this past season.

Olsen, a 6'1" guard from Cardston, Alta., finished fifth in South Division scoring averaging just over 19 points per game and was named an ACAC first team all-star, while shooting 49.6% from the field and over 47% from behind the arc. He also added 6 rebounds per game and 2.39 assists.

Prior to joining the Kodiaks, Olsen starred for the Cardston Cougars and was named the Southern Alberta High School Basketball League MVP in his final season (2008-09).

"Rob is an incredible talent and an outstanding young man," says Hansen. "I believe Rob is the best player to come out of Cardston since his uncle and former high school coach Ken McMurray. Ken was an all-Canadian for the Horns and I'm confident that Rob will have the same success with us."

Hansen adds that Olsen is also very accomplished off the court and represents the ideal of the Canada West student-athlete.

"Rob represents everything we look for in a recruit, he was not only an all-star, but a CCAA Academic All-Canadian. He is a character kid and will be a great ambassador for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge."

A Raymond, Alta., product, Jared Baker was named an ACAC second-team all-star this past season and averaged 15 points per game for the Kodiaks, while adding just under 6 rebounds and 3.13 assists per contest.

In high school, Baker was a two sport athlete, winning provincial titles for the Raymond Comets in both football (2008) and Basketball (2009). He led the Southern Alberta High School Basketball League in scoring in grade 11 with 24.1 points per game and was named league MVP in 2007-08.

"I'm very excited to be coaching Jared again," says Hansen. "He is such an incredible competitor and is willing to do whatever is needed for a team to be successful.

"He has evolved from being a shooter to an all-around player. Jared has a high basketball IQ and the success he's experienced playing for Todd Heggie's Raymond teams shows in the way he carries himself. His CCAA Academic All-Canadian also demonstrates that Jared expects excellence for himself."

The men's basketball team will look to round out its 2013-14 recruiting class in the coming weeks.

Ondrus gravitates to leading role for Horns rugby

trevor.kenney — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 21:09:37 +0000

Her official title is interim head coach and former head coach Neil Langevin will still be riding shotgun as an assistant, but make no mistake, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women's rugby team knows who will be calling the shots when the 2013 Canada West season opens this fall.

JJ Ondrus (BSc/BEd '04), who has been with the program since its inception, first as a player, and most recently as Langevin's assistant coach for the past 10 years, is taking the reins of the perennial national contenders.

"This was a goal of mine probably since the first couple of years being an assistant," says the 34-year-old Ondrus as she assumes the head role in the wake of Langevin's one-year leave. "I just never thought Neil would give the position up, I figured I'd have to move to get an opportunity to be a head coach at a university level."

Ondrus is coming full circle with the program she first helped build as a player. A soccer player through high school, she graduated out of Catholic Central High, earning a soccer scholarship at the U of L. She played just one year of high school rugby, having to suit up for rival Lethbridge Collegiate Institute because CCH didn't yet have a team of its own.

Three years into her post-secondary career, Horns rugby was born and she switched sports.

"I was OK at soccer but more of a bench player than anything," says Ondrus. "But in rugby I was pretty much the quarterback as a fly half. I was on the field all the time and we played a kicking game and I was the kicker, so I was important and I loved it."

The Horns new interim head coach, JJ Ondrus, has been with the program since its inception.

In her two years as a Pronghorn she experienced just one win, but it's a memory she relishes, and it was the first brick in the construction of the Pronghorn dynasty that would emerge years later.

"That is still Neil's favourite win, and I have the newspaper clipping where he says that," smiles Ondrus, recalling the team's bronze medal victory over the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia at the Canada West championship tournament. "I still remember him jumping out of the end zone he was so excited, because we were not supposed to beat anybody that year."

Ondrus earned her education degree and started her teaching career at Winston Churchill High School. She also went straight into coaching, both at the high school level and as one of Langevin's assistants. She has never left the program.

Over the ensuing years, Ondrus taught at Nobleford, then Fort Macleod and eventually returned to Churchill, where she is in her fifth year as a science teacher. At every stop she helped build the sport of women's rugby and like her Pronghorn brethren, played a big role in establishing the vibrant rugby culture in southern Alberta.

"If you look around the high school league, I'm pretty sure every program has a Pronghorn player on the coaching staff," she says. "People are surprised when they come to our community and see the level of support we get and especially the balance between boys and girls rugby. To see 12 girls teams to six boys teams really speaks to the strength of girls rugby in southern Alberta."

Ondrus admits she is somewhat overwhelmed with her new position. She is heavy into recruiting for the new season, knowing the Horns graduated six players last season and two others are not returning to the program. She's also acutely aware that the Horns are coming off what is for them a down year, failing to win the Canada West championship for the first time in seven seasons.

"I'll admit it, I'm a little nervous about that but the coaches and players accept that responsibility and pressure to be the best, we set the bar high and set that expectation on ourselves to go to nationals and compete for a national championship," she says.

Having been a part of the program since its outset, it's hard to imagine anyone else better prepared to take over for the only head coach the Horns have ever known. Ondrus is ready to go.

"I've been with the program since it started in 2000, so it is near and dear to my heart," she says. "I am very excited for my new role and cannot wait to bring my energy and ideas to the table. Neil has set the bar pretty high, but I know, as he does, that I am ready!"

This story first appeared in the February 2013 edition of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Upholding the law in the land down under

trevor.kenney — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 22:02:16 +0000

With a finger-pointing, I've-got-you-now grin and an iconic light grey suit, criminal defense attorney, Ben Matlock, entertained television audiences for almost a decade with his ingenious perception and gritty determination to fight for truth. For one young boy growing up in the small town of Coronation, Alta., however, Matlock was more than mere entertainment; he was pure inspiration.

"It was the courtroom drama that got me. I used to watch Matlock and think, if he can do it, I can do it. When I watched him I knew I was born to be in the courtroom," explains solicitor, Jay Merchant (BA '05), who was recently admitted as a member of the Australian legal profession by the Supreme Court in Queensland.

Along with his interest in law, Merchant developed a love for politics and a passion for curling that have also strongly influenced his life's journey.

"The first time I heard Preston Manning speak I was fascinated by his personal approach to politics. I became a member of the Reform Party at age 15," says Merchant.

Jay Merchant, right, along with Barrister Debra Wardle, who moved his admission into the Supreme Court in Queensland.

Merchant's love of curling was a family affair. His father played in national oilman's competitions and his mom and older brother curled as well. Merchant spent the majority of his childhood winters at the rink, either watching the game or developing his skills.

"My older brother curls on a recreational level when he has time. He boasts he can kick my butt, but I am still waiting for him to put his money where his mouth his," jokes Merchant, who is a player-coach with the Australian National Curling Team.

With his three-fold passion, Merchant says that the move to Lethbridge to attend the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in 2000 was a perfect choice.

"Coming from a small town, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ was exactly what I needed, and I wouldn't change anything, but it was a steep learning curve for me. I was never a good writer but I had excellent professors, two in particular, Dr. Alan Siaroff and Dr. Geoffrey Hale. They had such a strict writing guide and they focused on using logical arguments and logical structure. I do a lot of writing now and without their dedication I would not have achieved what I have. It was a painful process but I am forever grateful to them," says Merchant. "I attended Bond ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Australia for my post-graduate studies and the common theme between both institutions is that you are not just a number. I know my professors and consider them to be my mentors. There is something really special about that."

While completing his undergrad, Merchant kept busy with local politics and curling. He was a member of Rick Casson's steering committee and curled out of the Lethbridge Curling Club.

"I played juniors for Alberta and made it to provincials a number of times. I played for the U of L in 2003. We made it to the Canadian ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Championships; I think we were in the top five. I also have a few banners up at the Lethbridge Curling Club," recalls Merchant.

Merchant eyes an Olympic berth for Australia down the line.

Merchant completed his bachelor's degree in political science in 2005. He spent one year working in a municipal internship program in Red Deer before moving to Australia to pursue a master's of business law at Bond ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, which he completed in 2007. That same year the Australian Winter Olympic Committee asked him to migrate to Australia on a distinguished talent visa, but because curling is self-funded in Australia, Merchant had to return to Canada to earn enough money before he could take advantage of the AWOC proposal. He returned to Australia in 2010 to coach and play with the Australian National Team and pursue his law degree at Bond, which he completed in 2012.

"I did my Postgraduate Diploma of Legal Practice, with a placement in criminal law. I loved it. I plan to go into prosecution and later become a barrister. As for curling, Lyn Gill, my partner in mixed doubles and I are heading to Fredericton, N.B. in April to compete at the world championships. I am really looking forward to that!" says Merchant. "My long-term focus is on continuing to develop the sport in Australia and to qualify teams for the 2018 Olympics."

For anyone who happens to be in Fredericton in April and wants to wish Merchant good luck, you'll find him easily enough if you listen for his ringtone – it's the theme from Matlock.

This story first appeared in the November 2012 issue of the Legend. To view the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Athletes of the week named

trevor.kenney — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 17:35:59 +0000

Matt Medoruma and Megan Bailey have earned honours as the Subway Pronghorn Athletes of the Week.

Medoruma, a fifth-year midfielder for the Horns men's soccer program, picks up the award for the second week in a row.

In what turned out to be his final weekend as a Pronghorn, he was arguably the best player on the field for both weekend games against the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan.

Medoruma had an assist on the Horns' lone goal in Saturday's 2-1 loss that bumped the team from playoff contention. He then scored the only goal in a 1-1 tie on Sunday.

Medoruma started all 15 games for the Horns this season and finished second in team scoring with two goals and four assists.

Bailey was a standout for the Horns women's hockey team as they picked up three of four points from the previously undefeated ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Pandas this past weekend.

The third-year forward scored twice and added two assists for the Horns, and has already set a career high for points in a season in just seven games. She has four goals and three assists on the year and is a team-best plus-5.

Tollestrup to join Horns

trevor.kenney — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 21:05:40 +0000

The 2012 Southern Alberta High School Basketball League (SAHSBL) most valuable player is coming to play for the Pronghorns women's basketball program.

Jackie Tollestrup, last season's southern Alberta MVP, committed to the Horns and head coach Erin McAleenan earlier this week.

"We are thrilled that Jackie has decided to stay home and be a Pronghorn this fall," says McAleenan. "After having been a multi-sport athlete, I am really looking forward to the possibilities with her potential now that she has committed to focus on basketball."

"Jackie is a very hard working and talented basketball player. Her relentless energy and competitiveness on the court will definitely add a lot to our program."

Tollestrup, a 5'8" guard from Raymond, just completed a successful high school career with the Raymond Comets. She led the Comets to a perfect 14-0 record in the Southern Alberta High School Basketball League, and will be quite well acquainted with her new home at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as the Comets won the 4A Zone championships on the 1^st Choice Savings Centre floor this past spring.

The Comets went on to claim the bronze medal at the Alberta Schools Association Athletics (ASAA) provincial championships by beating Spruce Grove Composite in the third place game. She was also part of the provincial bronze medal winning team in 2010.

During her senior season, Tollestrup led the SAHSBL league in scoring, averaging 20.7 points per game. She was also third in league scoring in grade 11, averaging more than 16 points per game.

The Pronghorn women's basketball team will open training camp Aug. 27 and tip-off the Canada West conference schedule Nov. 4 by hosting the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Winnipeg.

Patterson responds with breakout season

trevor.kenney — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:03:36 +0000

Goaltender Crystal Patterson was challenged by head coach Chandy Kaip to be better than a third-string player. Suffice it to say, she responded.

The second-year Calgary product posted one of the best Canada West seasons ever for the Pronghorns women's hockey team, helping the Horns to their best finish in franchise history and first playoff appearance in five seasons.

"I took that challenge and pretty much proved coach wrong that I was a third string goalie," says Patterson, who was named to the Canada West First All-Star Team and Horns Female Athlete of the Year. "I knew I had to get my fitness up and it was something I worked on and it turned out pretty well."

Patterson started all but one conference game this season, leading Canada West in minutes played (1401:22), shutouts (6) and total saves (607). She was also second in the conference in wins (14), third in save percentage (0.928) and fourth in goals-against-average (2.01).

In her second year with the Horns, Patterson came out of the Edge Hockey Academy in her hometown of Calgary. She says there was never a consideration to play for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos.

"No, I never thought about it. I actually loved coming to Lethbridge because it is close to Calgary but it gives you your own independence and freedom," she says. "If you need to go home, it's just a two-hour drive. My parents are able to come down and watch me play pretty much every weekend too, and they come on a lot of our road trips as well, so it's great to have that support."

It's a consistent theme on the Horns, with five players from Calgary and a sixth who attended Edge Academy. Canada West Rookie of the Year, Sadie Lenstra, is another Calgary product, proving it is fertile ground for U of L recruiters.

Off the ice, Patterson is studying in the Faculty of Management.

"It's too early to tell what I want to do with my degree," she says. "My dad wants me to do something with the family trucking business but I'm not sure. I just may get a good background in business and see where it takes me."

Patterson will head back to Calgary once the spring semester ends, but part of her summer training will involve further work with Kaip as she takes her first turn at helping up and coming youngsters.

"Chandy just came to me with the opportunity, and it will be my first chance to work with kids so I'm really looking forward to it," says Patterson.

She understands how a future can be shaped by the influence of a mentor. She recalls an instance where National Hockey League goaltender Curtis Joseph made a lasting impression on her with just one small gesture.

"I got the chance to play between periods at a Flames' game and he was playing for the Detroit Red Wings then," recounts Patterson. "I remember he patted me on the pads and he's been my favourite ever since."

Of course, as a hockey-playing girl growing up in Calgary, current rival Hayley Wickenheiser was also a big factor.

"Hayley Wickenheiser was a big influence for all girls who played hockey in Calgary because she was always involved in camps and things like that," says Patterson. "You'd see her with her medals and she'd come out on the ice with you, so that's why it's so strange to be playing against her now. She was an idol and now she's our competition, I never thought I'd experience that."

After a season of monumental successes, both Patterson and the Horns will be expected to take the next step in 2012-13, but if we've learned anything about "the Monster" as she's been dubbed, it's that the five-foot-10 inch Patterson relishes a challenge.

"Chandy said to us last year that within our time here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, we'll be up there challenging for playoffs and playing with the best teams," she says. "It's pretty astounding that we were able to make playoffs in our second year, but I want to put a banner in our barn before I'm done here."

This story first appeared in the March 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

WEHUB nominated as water champion

trevor.kenney — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:14:30 +0000

The Water and Environmental Hub (WEHUB) has been nominated as a featured "water champion" project by Water's Next, an annual publication of Water Canada magazine. This issue highlights "significant contributions to Canada's Waterscape," with the WEHUB being designated by a committee of water experts as a Canadian project worth spotlighting.

The WEHUB is a cloud-based open web platform that collects and shares water and environmental data from across geographical and watershed boundaries. The goal of the project, which began in 2010, is to make all such data open and easily accessible via the web, freeing up valuable search time for researchers and those interested in water-based information, such as river flows, lake turbidity, or bird migration routes. The platform also features an application programming interface (API), which enables the development of water-based, customized applications for tablet computers or smartphones.

The beta web version of the WEHUB was launched in December 2011, and information from 1,738 observation datasets is now available online. The project is led by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, with financial and technical support from Cybera, Tesera Systems, and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Biogeoscience Institute.

When then-Minister of Environment Jim Prentice announced the federal government's desire to keep more accurate and up-to-date information around water and water data in 2010, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge jumped at the opportunity to get involved. The result is an open-source web platform called the Water and Environmental Hub, or WEHUB for short.

The WEHUB website will offer searchable, customizable data interpretation through its application programming interface (API), which will allow users and organizations to build applications for managing the data to suit their needs, with the potential to share those applications and findings with other users.

"We reached out to our good friend and partner (WEHUB's executive director, Alex Joseph) at Cybera to serve as primary contact in WEHUB's creation," says Daniel Weeks, VP of research at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. "Alex is the key player in this process."

Cybera is a not-for-profit organization that works to facilitate technological innovation in the province of Alberta through the use of cyber infrastructure. At the end of March 2012, WEHUB itself will officially become a not-for-profit.

"A lot of organizations have already been aggregating valuable data, but they don't have the ability to manage or publish it," Joseph says. "We want to plug directly into organizations' data banks so that users can aggregate and interpret data on demand from the organization via WEHUB."

This goal of total collaboration is a couple of years away as software must be upgraded across various organizations and as phase one of WEHUB's development is completed in 2012.

"Phase one included development of the platform, adding data and facilitating the development of applications," Joseph says. "Phase two will be to connect with more provinces and engage more organizations to include their data and build applications."

Joseph estimates that there are thousands of custom applications possible.

"We're making the data available through API, making it easy for smartphone and web developers to build these apps and even embed the data in their sites," he says. " This project will go a long way to providing a clearer line of sight to water quality, to the need for more rigorous testing, and to the need for more robust policy."

For example, a watershed organization might produce a yearly report, collecting data from various sources throughout the year. By the time that report is released, most of the data will already be outdated. A custom application would allow the organization to connect and interact with other groups, live data sources, policy makers and community members in real time, spending less time and energy on research while providing current, relevant information in its reports.

"There have already been projects identified to enable better water management and watershed planning," says Joseph. "The missing piece has been that data infrastructure to bring different organizations and community groups together."

Reaching out to those in need

trevor.kenney — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:40:40 +0000

It may seem like a small gesture but ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's soccer players have discovered that it can make a world of difference – they need only look at the smiles.

An innocent act of recognizing need has turned into an annual program of giving for the club, resulting in Horns soccer gear making its way around the world.

"Three years ago, one of our players, Cal Campbell, was going to do volunteer work in Thailand," says men's head coach Randy Bardock. "He made some comments about the underprivileged areas he visited and how they had none of some of the most basic things we take for granted. So we got the guys together and packed up a bunch of gear that either didn't fit, or we had no use for anymore, and sent it off to Thailand."

It wasn't long before they received photos from these communities of children proudly wearing their Horns paraphernalia, broad smiles adorning their faces in appreciation.

"We've just kind of carried that on since then," says Bardock.

Children from a community in Nepal proudly display their Pronghorns men's soccer gear.

Former Pronghorn player Mike O'Brien (BSc '10) was the next to take the Horns' message abroad, traveling to Arusha, Tanzania for two months where he volunteered at a local hospital. This past summer, team trainer Dave Hall took shirts, shorts, cleats, runners and a variety of other soccer-related items to Nepal.

"I think it's important for the guys to realize how fortunate we really are here in Canada, and this is a way to drive that message home," says Bardock. "What we consider as old or out of style, these people cherish as valuables."

The philosophy of engaging with the community and contributing by giving back is something that the men's program has practiced for years.

"For as long as I've been involved we've tried to give back to the community through sponsoring schools and sponsoring a family at Christmas – this was another way to make a difference," says Bardock. "I think when the guys see the pictures come back, it really makes them more aware of just what is going on around the world. Sometimes we get so focused on our own issues, we tend to forget that there are a lot of people in much more challenging situations than we face."

A brand new shirt is a treasure in any size.

As rewarding as it is for the children who receive the gifts, the program also reaps rewards back home.

"The three individuals who have done it, the feeling they had when they saw these kids getting the gear, I think it was something that made a life-changing impression on them," says Bardock.

O'Brien concurs, saying it had a real impact on his perspective on life.

"It really gave me a better appreciation for the opportunities we have here in Canada and the opportunity I have to go to ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ," he says. "It also re-affirmed my desire to go to medical school and become a doctor."

Bardock says that the program will continue to look for ways to push the ideal of community engagement going forward.

"If guys have opportunities to volunteer somewhere and do the same sort of thing, we'll definitely encourage them to take advantage of those," he says. "The experiences you gain from that are incredible, and something you won't get from a classroom."

This story first appeared in the December 2011 issue of the Legend. If you'd like to see the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Everyone playing their part

trevor.kenney — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:58:26 +0000

When Dr. Jon Doan (PhD '06) moved to Lethbridge in 2002 to pursue his PhD in neuroscience at the U of L, he never imagined he'd found a permanent home. Now, 10 years later, he's so much a part of the U of L community he can't imagine being anywhere else.

"I came here because of the neuroscience department," explains Doan, who is originally from St. Thomas, Ont. "The PhD program was new at the time and I was excited about the research opportunities presented by a multi-disciplinary approach."

What started in his PhD program has evolved into a rewarding career.

Dr. Jon Doan sees the U of L community as a team, supporting students in a variety of ways.

Combining his interest in neuroscience and kinesiology, Doan's research centres on movement and has practical implications in areas ranging from Parkinson's Disease research to occupational health and safety.

"As a student here, I developed effective relationships and worked on really interesting research questions," says Doan, who accepted a faculty position at the U of L in 2005 in order to further pursue these opportunities. "I have a strong network of patients, caregivers and colleagues here, and I can see my work being applied in meaningful ways."

The rest, as they say, is history. Doan teaches classes in the department of kinesiology and physical education and he continues to expand his research program. He is also an active member of the campus community.

"I have really benefitted from the opportunities to get involved on campus," says Doan. "There are so many ways to meet people and be part of a community here that if you're willing to get involved, you can do just about anything."

Doan's engagement started when he was a student but he argues that his university experience didn't end there.

"I loved being a student and still enjoy being on campus and getting involved in campus life," says Doan, who is a proud supporter of Pronghorn Athletics. "I think it's important for people like me who have enjoyed and continue to enjoy their involvement with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to find simple but meaningful ways to help others enjoy it too. That's why I give to Supporting Our Students."

Maybe it's his background in kinesiology, but Doan likens the U of L community to a team and argues everyone is a key player.

"We all have a responsibility to support other members of the team," explains Doan, who shows his team spirit by contributing to SOS, the annual internal campaign to raise money for student awards.

"I enjoyed my time here as a student and continue to enjoy my association with the U of L. I want to help other people to come out and get involved."

Doan sees the impact of his support extending beyond the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

"The SOS campaign is an opportunity for me and my family to contribute to the broader community," says Doan. "By supporting students now, we're helping them become better citizens later."

For more information on Supporting Our Students, or to make a donation today, visit www.uleth.ca/giving or call 403-329-2582.

This story first appeared in the December 2011 issue of the Legend. If you'd like to see the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

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