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Fiction at Fifty playwriting competition announced

trevor.kenney — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 22:09:39 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumnus Terry Whitehead (BA ’94) learned early that he was not destined to become an actor, but it did not dampen his enthusiasm for the theatre.

Terry Whitehead supports theatre at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge through a number of different avenues.

Already the backer behind the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s annual Play Right Prize and Striking Prose competitions, Whitehead is now the lead donor behind the Fiction at Fifty playwriting competition that will commission a new, full-length on-campus play to be produced in October 2017 in celebration of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s 50th anniversary.

“I thought this would be a great way for the Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts to participate in and celebrate the 50th anniversary,” says Whitehead, a managing partner with Alexander Whitehead Executive Search in Vancouver and Calgary. “What greater thing to do than commission brand new Canadian plays and then have that play produced and performed on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ stage?”

Whitehead studied English at the U of L and took full advantage of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s liberal arts focus by participating in a variety of theatre classes, saying he had ample opportunity to be on stage.

“That’s where I realized my career in theatre was not on stage because you need talent, of which I lacked,” jokes Whitehead. “But I really came to appreciate what putting together a play was all about. I saw all the comparisons between a sports team and a theatre production, in terms of the teamwork needed to be successful, and those experiences were very formative to me.”

Fiction at Fifty is open to all Canadian playwrights, amateur or professional, single or as a collective. Playwrights must submit a four-page commission proposal to the contest by Mar. 17, 2014, at which time a jury will select three proposals and offer a $2,000 commissioning contract to each to write a full-length draft within 18 months.

From there, a second jury will convene and evaluate the completed drafts and select a winning play. An additional $2,000 plus travel expenses will then be awarded to the winner, as well as royalties upon production of the play. The play will be a part of the Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts mainstage season in October 2017.

“One of the great things about this contest is that the format allows for three plays to get initial funding, it’s very rare that playwrights get a commission to go and write their works,” says Whitehead. “What’s been so great about this process is the work that the entire department and especially Doug MacArthur and Nick Hanson have done to pull this together. It’s one thing to come up with an idea and quite another to have support throughout the entire department to make it happen.”

For more information on the Fiction at Fifty playwriting competition, visit this website.

For more inspiring stories on the individuals and organizations who have helped shaped the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, please visit: http://www.uleth.ca/campaigns/giving/

McNally honoured as Friend of Health Sciences Award winner

trevor.kenney — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 22:13:32 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Faculty of Health Sciences has named Dr. Ed McNally (LLD ’05) as the 2014 Friend of Health Sciences Award recipient.

Dr. Ed McNally, the Big Rock Brewery founder, has excelled as a lawyer, farmer/rancher and entrepreneur.

The Friend of Health Sciences Award honours individuals and organizations that make a significant contribution to health education and research in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the U of L.

In 2008, McNally funded a scholarship for every graduate nursing student at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. He has made a similar gift in each ensuing year, providing a McNally-funded award to every masters-level nursing student in every year of his or her studies.

“By establishing one of the largest student award funds in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr. McNally has ensured that graduate nurses will be leading the way for our Faculty, and indeed our university, as we continue our focus as a leading comprehensive academic and research institution,” says Dr. Chris Hosgood, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences.

To date, 40 U of L nursing students have received a McNally-funded award, named in honour of his mother, Margaret Elliot McNally (Thomson), who was on the frontline of nursing during the First World War. A group of nursing students was responsible for nominating McNally for the Friend of Health Sciences honour.

“Receiving the McNally graduate scholarship helped me not only financially but it also spoke to me and told me that somebody else had invested in my education besides myself, and that can be a very powerful motivator,” says former student Bernadine Wojtowicz, now the Nursing Education in Southwestern Alberta BN Programs Co-Chair and Theory Courses coordinator at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. “It was encouraging and a great honour.”

McNally, who grew up in Lethbridge, is the founder of Calgary’s Big Rock Brewery. A lawyer, farmer/rancher and entrepreneur, McNally represented farmers who had trouble selling their malting barley. He later became a farmer when he saw potential for development in the market, and turned his focus to brewing in 1985 when he founded Big Rock Brewery, looking to make the beers that he wanted to drink.

Hosgood says McNally’s gift has not only benefited students during the course of their education, but has also contributed significantly to the capacity of the Faculty as a whole and lends support to the next generation of health professionals.

“Dr. McNally’s generosity and his desire to see nurses pursue advanced nursing studies has been particularly beneficial to the Faculty of Health Sciences,” says Hosgood. “Thirteen recipients of the McNally Graduate Studies Nursing Scholarship currently work within our nursing program, and are giving back to students by furthering the profession on a daily basis.”

In 2005, McNally was bestowed an honorary degree by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

For more inspiring stories on the individuals and organizations who have helped shaped the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, please visit: http://www.uleth.ca/campaigns/giving/

Helping students spread their wings

trevor.kenney — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 23:12:20 +0000

On behalf of the faculty and staff, we thank Linda Embury for her decades of service at the U of L, her bright smile and warm heart, and we wish her a very happy retirement.

Linda Embury is the first person you’ll meet when hired at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge – and she’s the first to stand behind our students.

Over the last 24 years, Embury, who is now the assistant to the associate vice-president (HR and Administration), has made it her mission to create a helpful and welcoming work environment.

Linda Embury is not only a pride ambassador for the U of L, she's strong advocate for the Supporting Our Students campaign.

“I think people put my name to the department and know that I’m here to help,” she says. “I’m proud of the friendships I’ve made across campus and my dedication to this job.”

Not only does Embury have a role in hiring at the U of L, her name has become synonymous with one of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s most celebrated events. With enthusiasm and commitment, she has grown the annual Long Service Awards ceremony into an afternoon celebration attended by 400 people.

Needless to say, Embury has an incredible sense of pride in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. She has also come to feel a sense of family on campus. When she and her two sons fell on hard times, the U of L helped her through.

“My goal was to put my sons through university, and as a single mother I had to work three jobs to do it,” she recalls. “My family at the U of L was there for me during that difficult time.”

It was her experience struggling to make ends meet that inspired her to contribute to the Supporting Our Students (SOS) campaign.

“When SOS started, I thought there might be others in situations like the one my family and I were in,” she explains. “If I can help students stay in university and finish off their degrees, it can set them up for life.”

Embury is excited to share the message of SOS throughout the U of L community as Co-Chair of the 2013-2014 campaign. Since its inception in 2005, the annual fundraiser has seen more than 650 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ faculty, staff and retirees contribute more than $1.5 million towards student scholarships and bursaries.

“I am so honoured to be Co-Chair,” says Embury. “I want to be a role model to my colleagues. I believe we can all afford to give back; every little bit of money helps.”

Embury knows that with the financial challenges students face today, it’s more important than ever for the U of L community to support our students. She also knows first-hand the benefits of education and the importance of seeing a degree through to the end.

“When my sons graduated, I saw what education can do. It can open up the doors of the world,” she says. “I hope my gifts to SOS will help other students finish their education and spread their wings.”

For more information about Supporting Our Students, or to make your contribution today, visit www.uleth.ca/giving.

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