Inspiring and motivating instructor, Dr. Kristine Alexander, recognized with Graduate Mentorship Award

trevor.kenney — Wed, 22 May 2024 16:06:55 +0000

An instructor and mentor with a unique ability to recognize the talent and potential of her students, Dr. Kristine Alexander inspires and motivates her graduate trainees by providing unwavering support and encouraging them to break boundaries and embrace risk in their learning journeys.

Alexander will be recognized with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge School of Graduate Studies Graduate Mentorship Award at 2024 Spring Convocation, Ceremony II on Thursday, May 30, 2024, 2:30 p.m. in the 1st Choice Savings Centre gymnasium.

Kristine Alexander held the Canada Research Chair in Child and Youth Studies and was co-director of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s interdisciplinary Institute for Child and Youth Studies.

“As a fellow graduate mentor, I have learned tremendously from Dr. Alexander about how to set students up for success in academia and professionally after the degree,” says Dr. Gideon Fujiwara, who nominated Alexander for the honour. “Dr. Alexander prioritizes connecting students’ experiences at the U of L to their longer-term personal and professional goals while building a supportive and collegial intellectual community.”

Kristine Alexander

Inspired by the mentors who supported her along the way, Dr. Kristine Alexander is paying it forward by supporting her own graduate students on their academic and professional journeys.

Alexander is an Associate Professor in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Department of History. From 2013-2023 she held the Canada Research Chair in Child and Youth Studies and was co-director of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s interdisciplinary Institute for Child and Youth Studies. She has supervised numerous graduate students in history and cultural, social and political thought (CSPT), served on supervisory committees in anthropology, CSPT, history and sociology, and (with Dr. Jan Newberry) recruited and supervised the first postdoctoral fellow in the humanities at ULethbridge.

Alexander encourages her graduate trainees to produce high-quality original research, to challenge and believe in themselves, and to connect their studies to their lives and aspirations beyond the university. Her students praise her unique ability to recognize and nurture their potential, and her approach combines intellectual rigour with encouragement, collaboration and support.

Over the past decade, Alexander’s graduate students have studied topics ranging from the Black Death in medieval Italy to the history of the American Hotel in Fort Macleod. Their research projects are historical as well as interdisciplinary, and Alexander encourages her trainees to share their findings with both academic and popular audiences. In addition to giving public talks, speaking to the media, and presenting at conferences across North America and Europe, Alexander’s students have curated exhibits at the Galt Museum and produced historical board games about the First World War and the Great Depression based on original archival research. Alexander involves her graduate students in community-engaged research projects, collaborates with them on publications, and supports them in their applications for scholarships and highly competitive national grants.

Trust, respect and community-building are cornerstones of Alexander’s mentorship style. While motivating each of them individually, she also fosters genuine and long-lasting connections between her graduate students. Alexander intentionally creates a lively and supportive intellectual community within which her students can share ideas, strategize together and celebrate each other’s successes.

Described by her students as insightful, patient, enthusiastic, supportive, kind, generous and empathetic, Alexander’s influence extends far beyond graduation. With her guidance, graduate trainees develop competencies and confidence that serve them well as they transition into professional careers. Her students note that she inspires them “to be kind, to be curious, and to work harder.”

Japan Culture Day celebrated at U of L

trevor.kenney — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 19:54:35 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Asian Studies program and the Department of Modern Languages, in cooperation with the International Centre for Students, is hosting a number of events this week in celebration of Japan Culture Day.

The week begins with a pair of talks on Tuesday, March 25 in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Library, and continues Thursday, March 27 with a full day of activities that include tea ceremonies, judo and karate demonstrations as well as dance demos, lectures and Japanese food.

These events are open to everyone and media are invited to attend.

Tuesday, March 25
L1170

Meiji: Japan in Transition at Home (Part I) and Abroad (Part II)
4 p.m. - The Emperor and His Poetic Subjects: Ceremony of the Imperial New Year Poetry Reading in Meiji Japan
Gideon Fujiwara (History)

4:30 p.m. - Meiji Export of Japanese Culture: Modern Japan's Display of Traditional Culture at the 1893 World Expo
Dr. John Harding (Religious Studies)

Thursday, March 27
��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall Atrium

10 to 10:35 a.m. - Tea Ceremony
Rie Nagai

10:40 to 11:10 a.m. - Bon Dance demo and mini-lesson
Minyo Dancers

11:15 to 11:40 a.m. - The Second Coming of Shinzo Abe
Dr. Trevor Harrison

11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. - Judo demo and mini-lesson
Lethbridge Kyodokan Judo Club

12:20 to 12:50 p.m. - Tea Ceremony
Masako Ohtomo

1 to 1:30 p.m. - Buddhism and Japanese Culture
Reverend Yasuo Izumi

1:35 to 2:05 p.m. - Karate demo and mini lesson
Taka Karate School

2:10 to 2:40 p.m. - The History of Japanese in Southern Alberta
Mac and Reyko Nishiyama

3:05 to 4 p.m. - Taiko demo and mini-lesson
Hibikiya

Japanese food available from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

UNews - Gideon Fujiwara

Inspiring and motivating instructor, Dr. Kristine Alexander, recognized with Graduate Mentorship Award

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Japan Culture Day celebrated at U of L

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