UNews - Kathleen Gonzales

Lethbridge students take business, tech skills to international competition

trevor.kenney — Wed, 29 May 2019 21:14:55 +0000

A team of seven women from Lethbridge will take their business savvy, computer coding and blockchain knowledge to an international competition in Toronto this week. They will compete at the CryptoChicks Hackathon, May 31 to June 2, an event that will feature world leaders in blockchain technology and artificial intelligence, and competitors from around the world, in person and online.

Lethbridge College students Cassandra Olfert and Katherine Campos, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students Kathleen Gonzales, Kairvee Bhatt, Leila Karimi and Mahshid Aghania, and Victoria Park High School student Brooklyn Carlson have been meeting weekly since mid-April to prepare for competition. Jefferson Gardner, certified blockchain expert and CEO and co-founder of InBridge Inc., and Dr. Muhammad Khan, an assistant professor in the U of L Department of Mathematics and Computer Science are leading the students. The Lethbridge team will make two separate, but related, pitches at the competition — one a business solution; the other a code and tech solution — that once combined will solve a real-world problem.

U of L professor Dr. Muhammad Khan, Brooklyn Carlson, Mahshid Aghania, Cassandra Olfert, Katherine Campos, Kathleen Gonzales and Jefferson Gardner have been meeting at Tecconnect weekly in preparation for this weekend’s CryptoChicks Hackathon competition in Toronto. Missing from the photo are team members Kairvee Bhatt and Leila Karimi.

The problem they’ve chosen is ripped from the headlines: “The teams will be creating an end-to-end solution to address the Canadian canola industry’s need for traceability in answer to a trade partner closing its borders because the crop was tainted with an unnamed contaminant,” says Gardner.

Canada is the world’s No. 1 producer and exporter of canola. China, the country’s biggest customer, embargoed Canada’s canola this spring. “We could have brought any problem or solution to the hackathon, but we think our pitches will be particularly relevant and urgent, and the agricultural and blockchain focus will stand out,” Gardner says.

Olfert and Campos, who recently completed their first year of Lethbridge College’s Computer Information Technology program, are working on creating “smart contracts,” pieces of self-executing code that make the product traceable from a seed through processing, and every truck, train and factory in between.

Olfert, who grew up on a farm east of Vauxhall, says she can appreciate the importance of the canola trade dispute and it’s “super exciting” to be learning how blockchain could help protect Alberta’s farmers and their market share. “I think it’s really important to have opportunities like this for women,” Olfert says. “Computer programming is really a male-dominated field. I appreciate the support we’ve been given to attend.”

U of L student Kathleen Gonzales is a neuroscience major, bringing a unique perspective to the team. “Joining CryptoChicks has given me the opportunity to branch out past my field of studies and see how intermingled science, business, technology and agriculture really are,” she says. “By focusing on agriculture, our group aims to connect innovation, science and passion, through ensuring farmers, traders and all who are involved with the business are able to access data and communicate thoroughly across borders and work together towards a better and efficient future.”

If the team sounds diverse in its composition, it’s backed by an equally diverse network led by the Regional Innovation Network of Southern Alberta (RINSA), anAlberta Innovates-supported collaborative partnership of Lethbridge College, the U of L, Economic Development Lethbridge and others. The inclusion of a high school student came about thanks to Career Transitions, a not-for-profit organization with a mandate to support student career explorations, which arranged for students in a high school coding class to visit the Tecconnect innovation centre. Career Transitions is itself a partnership venture by eight K-12 school jurisdictions across southwestern Alberta, the college and university. Corporate sponsors are also supporting the team.

Lethbridge was encouraged to submit a team after someone from CryptoChicks served as a judge at a hackathon held at the U of L. Leveraging the collaborative network already in place in Lethbridge to support technology, entrepreneurship and innovation, the student team was quickly assembled and got to work.

Dr. Samantha Lenci, Lethbridge College Provost and Vice President Academic, says the college’s connections to the community, guest speakers, mentorship and networking opportunities create even more unique ways for students to learn and grow.

“As a college, we encourage our students to extend their learning beyond the walls of their classroom,” she says. “These young women will represent us in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and we are so proud. These kinds of ‘Yes, I will’ moments build to more and more moments for the women who have yet to come to college. They are opening doors to success.”

Dr. Khan says he’s proud not only that the team is tackling “an issue of great contemporary importance for the Albertan and Canadian economy,” but that the opportunity showcases aspiring and inspiring women.

“The gender gap in STEM is a bitter reality being challenged by these aspiring developers and entrepreneurs,” Khan says. “I am excited that our team will showcase their talent at the CryptoChicks' AI and Blockchain Hackathon — the grandest stage there is.”

The team’s work dovetails with a larger community effort to bring blockchain to the southern Alberta economy, says Trevor Lewington, CEO of Economic Development Lethbridge.

“Economic Development Lethbridge through Tecconnect is exploring many ways of using blockchain technology to solve real world business problems and provide local industry with a competitive advantage,” Lewington says. “We’re thrilled to support the team heading to the CryptoChicks Hackathon as they do exactly that.”

The team leaves for the competition on Friday.

UL50 Golden Jubilee Award recipients - where are they now?

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Dec 2017 20:34:31 +0000

In celebration of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s 50th anniversary, the Faculty of Arts & Science offered a total of $50,000 in awards to first-year university students (new high school graduates). There were five awards, worth $10,000 each, given to qualifying students enrolled in a four-year Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc) or Bachelor of Arts & Science (BASc) program. The students were selected based on high school academic performance, financial need and uniqueness of personal circumstances. We caught up with all five students to see how their first semester has been, and how they have settled into university life.

Kathleen Gonzales

Kathleen Gonzales (biological sciences) emigrated to Canada from the Philippines with her brother and father in 2007, and is working hard to become a role model for others who are overcoming hardships. She joined the Global Citizenship Cohort (GCC) and is thankful for the social environment and the community outreach opportunities. Next year, Gonzales and a group of cohort students are planning to organize a community fundraiser for Lethbridge’s Youth Crisis Centre.

“This semester, I have grown as a person and have opened my mind to the world around me. Despite having a major in biology, I have been learning about social issues occurring globally and locally and how they may impact society; analyzing how such issues could have resulted, and what factors should be considered when attempting to create a solution. Winning this award has motivated me to do my best and persevere through the tough times of transitioning from high school, while supporting my wish to create a difference in the world,” explains Gonzales.

Alexis Kelly (English & psychology) is also part of the GCC, and has settled into campus life as a UHall resident and co-founder of the Freedom Writers Poetry Club. She has embraced several opportunities to get involved with the campus community such as volunteering at Career Fair and finding employment at the university library. Though she is uncertain where her degree will take her, Kelly is taking advantage of exploring areas beyond her major.

Alexis Kelly

“I've always been the kind of person interested in lots of things as opposed to just one, and being able to explore more options for my major without falling behind in the one I am currently working on is a lovely opportunity,” she says. “If you're unsure of what you want to do it's a great institution because you can use courses towards your liberal education requirement. The professors love what they do, and they are open to helping students.”

For Makayla Lubbers (general social sciences), receiving the award was a sign of inspiration and encouragement, helping her to discover what she was supposed to do and where she was supposed to be. After graduating from high school, she spent the summer volunteering at an orphanage in Thailand where she says her life changed direction. Although she is an artist at heart, experiencing the struggles of impoverished children in a third-world country inspired her to pursue a degree in social sciences.

“I want to do something that will make a difference in the world. The U of L's extensive social science classes and the co-op program will help me develop the skills and gain the experience I need to make that happen,” she says.

So far, Lubbers is enjoying her time on campus, participating in several clubs as well as the Co-operative Education program.

Makayla Lubbers

Walker English (kinesiology) chose the U of L because of its close location to his home in Fort Macleod, and has settled into campus life well despite the struggle of moving away from home for the first time. In high school, he was a role model to young FNMI students and excelled at learning Blackfoot, which helped him connect with his culture through language. On campus, he is a part of the FNMI club, and appreciates the strong sense of community at the U of L.

“I plan to become a physiotherapist with my degree but that may change as time goes on. My U of L education will help me open more doors and opportunities so that I can become a successful individual in the future,” says English.

Lesleigh Siemens (psychology) is the first in her family in three generations to attend university. She was inspired by personal experiences to become a lawyer, and plans to go to law school after completing her undergraduate degree in psychology. A major challenge for Siemens has been navigating her post-secondary education without the advice or guidance from family members, since they never attended university. However, she has had some great experiences on campus and shares her advice for future students.

Walker English

“My advice would be to look at the planner provided and make sure you give yourself enough time to prepare! It's a much different experience than high school, so make sure to take all the help and tools provided, and use them,” she says. “The U of L has a lot of people willing to help if you don't quite understand what courses to take, where to start with applying, etc. As long as you're willing to ask for help, the experience can become a lot less stressful.”

Dr. Jackie Rice (associate dean, Faculty of Arts & Science) acknowledges that the U of L came into existence because of strong community support.

“We wanted to recognize the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s first 50 years by contributing back to students who represent the diversity and strength in our community,” she says. “Students like these, from diverse backgrounds and with unique experiences, are our future, and we want to encourage them to build their knowledge and experience. These are the people who will give back to their community; we see that in the backgrounds and motivations that they bring to us. The liberal education philosophy that we offer provides a broad perspective and critical thinking skills, along with depth of knowledge in a specific area, and this is what the leaders of tomorrow will need. I like to think of the UL50 Golden Jubilee Awards as our investment in the future and in the next 50 years of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, as we educate tomorrow’s leaders.”

Lesleigh Siemens

There are many valuable opportunities for students to seek advice or assistance at any point in their university career. For more information on all of the services available, click here.

UNews - Kathleen Gonzales

Lethbridge students take business, tech skills to international competition

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UL50 Golden Jubilee Award recipients - where are they now?

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