UNews - Brandy Old

New funding to offer cash for coursework while benefitting businesses

trevor.kenney — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 17:37:37 +0000

Over 500 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students could receive cash for their coursework through two initiatives supporting work experience and benefitting local businesses. The programs, led by the Dhillon School of Business and the Agility Program and funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Innovative Work-Integrated Learning program and CEWIL Canada's iHub, will see $498,600 go directly into the pockets of students.

The Co-operative Education and Work Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL) funding will pay students to solve problems for community organizations through a Service Learning Program as well as an applied and independent study cohort program.

The programs are funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Innovative Work-Integrated Learning program and CEWIL Canada's iHub.

Service Learning

Through service learning, faculty members across the U of L will partner with local businesses to incorporate industry-related problems into their curriculum. Currently, students discuss and solve written cases that real-life business executives have historically faced or work on theoretical assignments. Instead of working on static or hypothetical cases, the Service Learning Program will link 420 students with local companies and community partners to complete group projects, capstone projects and applied research that directly impacts those businesses. Each student will be compensated $600 for their work as they learn about the holistic operations of businesses, gain valuable work experience and connect theory to practical application.

Director of DSB Link, the Dhillon School of Business’ business development and experiential learning initiative, Matt Rahimi, is one of the leads on the CEWIL projects.

“Leveraging iHub funding provides students with opportunities to apply their academic knowledge to serve the needs of our community partners, as well as providing them with opportunities to learn about the business requirements in different industries and different jurisdictions,” says Rahimi.

Applied and Independent Study

Through applied and independent study, 137 students will gain direct access to experiential learning through the Dhillon School of Business’ new Applied Consulting Course (MGT 4901), Agility’s new Applied/Independent Studies cohorts, or through Building Careers: Engaging in Communities, a new course focused on developing skills and career goals for social science/humanities majors.

MGT 4901 (for Dhillon students only) kicked off in September and is a semester-long course that pairs consulting instruction with a local company project.

Agility’s applied and independent study offerings will be made through iHub cohorts, which include numerous unique, immersive learning experiences. Guided by their career aspirations, students collaborate with businesses under the supervision of a faculty advisor to solve problems for the organization or design their own course with an initiative. Each project focusses on entrepreneurship, social innovation, digital marketing/technology, financial literacy, STEM or applied research. Students complete a total of 120 hours of work with a company, helping each business establish a strong foundation of entrepreneurial thinking and innovation tactics.

“Programs like iHub encourage our students to get out of the classroom and learn by doing,” says Manager of Agility, Brandy Old. “Our cohort model helps our students learn to take risks in a safe environment, while also supporting core community initiatives that build a stronger southern Alberta.”

Both the Dhillon School of Business’ and Agility’s applied and independent study options put $1,800 into the pocket of each participant, which covers the cost of the course as well as a living wage for their work. Some of the hours of work will also be compensated through targeted skill workshops and other free professional development opportunities offered by partner companies.

"CEWIL Canada is pleased to support innovative WIL experiences for students at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge where students have been able to receive financial support and recognition for their WIL experience,” says Charlene Marion, director of WIL at CEWIL Canada. “Funds such as these aim to eliminate barriers to WIL and increase access for all post-secondary students."

Access to experiential learning and community engagement for underrepresented groups is also an important component of the programs. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is aiming to have 10.5 per cent of the placements (as reflected by the student population) filled by under-represented students, including Indigenous students, students who have requested accommodation for disabilities, women in STEM and students who are newcomers to Canada or from rural and remote areas.

U of L students tackle food insecurity on campus

caroline.zentner — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 17:27:54 +0000

Through the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Nourish initiative, student clubs have joined forces to decrease food insecurity on campus during March, which is Nutrition Month. With one in five students facing food scarcity, around 2,000 students sometimes run out of food and cannot afford to buy more.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ from running some of its regular Nourish programs, including Buy a Student Breakfast and Dinner for Six. This year, the PACT (Philanthropy, Advancement, Community and Traditions) club, the U of L Students’ Union (ULSU), the Organization of Residence Students (ORS) and Agility have teamed up for the Swipe Out Hunger campaign.

Started by a group of friends at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of California, Los Angeles in 2010, Swipe Out Hunger is a non-profit organization that partners with universities and colleges to address hunger and food insecurity among post-secondary students. The U of L is the first Canadian university to partner with the organization.

“I’m very proud of our students for banding together this year to address food insecurity on campus,” says Dr. Mike Mahon, U of L president and vice-chancellor. “Under the umbrella of Nourish, we have launched several programs to combat hunger over the years, but this year has been particularly challenging due the pandemic and our students have faced limited employment opportunities to supplement their income. These student clubs have come up with some very creative ways to provide healthy food for our students and I encourage everyone to get involved in Swipe Out Hunger.”

“Students used to grab breakfast together or have a snack in the library or meet in Urban Market,” says Amy Lambert, a fifth-year student who’s a member of the ULSU and PACT. “Food brought joy and connection. You meet and talk and nourish yourself, both mentally and physically. That hasn’t been possible this year, but the need is still there. We wanted to partner with our local community members and Umami has been great within our U of L community, and they teach you about the actual process of nourishing.”

On Thursday, March 25, the student clubs have partnered with Umami Shop Canada to offer a basket of ingredients for Pad Thai (two to four servings), along with a Zoom cooking lesson to make the dish. The student clubs have secured funding for 175 baskets for students on a first-come, first-served basis and members will be helping pack the baskets in the days ahead of the cooking class.

They are also extending the offer to purchase a basket to anyone who’d like to participate. The baskets at $24.99 each plus GST can be ordered through Umami. Choose “Virtual Cooking Class” from the top menu and then click on the “Umami Pad Thai UofLxUmami” option to order a kit. Community members also have the option of adding a donation to support Nourish programs.

“Anyone who wants to support our U of L community is welcome to buy a basket,” says Lambert. “We are asking community members to place their orders by March 22 at the latest.”

In addition, the last two weeks of March will be devoted to increasing awareness of food insecurity on campus. Recipes from Dr. Angeliki Pantazi’s nutrition class will be made available online on the Food for Thought website. Students in the class worked with each recipe to add nutrition or lower costs.

This project was made possible because of programs like Agility, which is completely funded by donors, that support creative student-led projects.

“We are extremely grateful to our donors for making it possible for our students to apply their education to real-world projects,” says Brandy Old (BA/BEd '17), Agility manager. “They take risks and collaborate in innovative ways to bring real change and awareness to food scarcity.”

Agility is now an approved Mitacs incubator

caroline.zentner — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 20:44:23 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge graduate students and post-doctoral fellows with an entrepreneurial bent can access funding to further develop their business ideas now that Agility has been approved as an incubator for Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur projects.

Accelerate Entrepreneur funds would-be entrepreneurs to further develop the research or technology at the core of their startup business when they are hosted by an incubator facility. Along with the funding, entrepreneurs receive support from Agility with the goal of commercializing their technology, product or service.

“As soon as Agility was approved to be the Lethbridge incubator, it was obvious this will benefit our U of L innovators,” says Brandie Lea, U of L partnerships and commercialization coordinator. “Applications are already in the works to request funding. It is exciting to see a culture of innovation and startup creation on campus and we are looking forward to the companies and product development that will receive support from a very reliable funding partner.”

“This is a great opportunity for our aspiring entrepreneurs,” says Brandy Old (BA/BEd '17), Agility manager. “The entrepreneur acts as an intern for their own business and Agility supervises and supports them throughout the internship.”

To be eligible, the entrepreneurs must own their startup and have responsibility for the management and/or operations of the company (which must be incorporated). Once housed at an approved incubator, the company invests a minimum of $7,500 in funding for a research project. Mitacs matches the funds and the total amount of $15,000 is administered through the entrepreneur's professor as a grant. The minimum stipend paid to an intern is $10,000 and they can also access to up to $5,000 in flexible funding to pay for research costs such as laboratory materials or equipment.

The program gives entrepreneurs a funded internship so they have the opportunity to pilot and test a new product, service or technology or improve on an already existing one. Applications are accepted any time and evaluation is completed in six to eight weeks. Projects start at four months, but can be scaled up, depending on the startup’s needs.

A major benefit of the program is that it provides a safe space to test out an idea.

“The funding goes right back to the entrepreneur, so they are actually functioning as a working employee for their own startup at a very early stage,” she says. “The Mitacs program helps aspiring entrepreneurs take the risk and dedicate some time towards doing early ideation and validation of a business idea. They’ll learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur and test out if their research project has commercial potential.”

Old plans to offer Accelerate Entrepreneur students Agility’s Trailblazing program, an online incubator for early stage ideation and validation. The program focuses on identifying problems, doing customer discovery, making sales pitches, networking, organizing, managing time and getting involved in the community.

“This program is perfect for anyone who wants to be their own boss and is committed to learning how to do it fast,” she says. “Students often discredit their readiness to turn their ideas into businesses and programs like Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur help reduce the risk of taking the leap.”

Graduate students and post-doctoral fellows from any discipline are welcome to apply. For more information visit the Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur website or contact Brandy Old (brandy.old@uleth.ca) or Brandie Lea (brandie.lea@uleth.ca).

U of L students create secure platform for digital political engagement

trevor.kenney — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 17:23:58 +0000

The face of political engagement, everything from how you vote to how you interact with public representatives, may soon undergo a massive shift thanks to a new virtual platform created by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students.

Peter Hurd-Watler and his Veras Technologies Inc. group see blockhain as a solution for enhancing political engagement.

Veras Technologies INC. is a blockchain-driven, secure voting platform that allows users to sign in virtually and cast ballots from anywhere in the world. It reduces the need for polling stations, group gatherings and manual manipulation of ballots, creating access to the political process like never before.

“We were sitting around trying to come up with a project for a blockchain hackathon and started talking politics,” says Veras Chief Executive Officer, Peter Hurd-Watler, a fourth-year student in the Dhillon School of Business. “Divine (Okonkwo, a freelance graphic designer and Veras team member) tells me how much he doesn’t trust the electoral process in his native Africa and how they still use flimsy pieces of paper. I told him it was the same thing here in Canada, except with fancier pieces of paper!

“That was kind of the lightbulb moment and I thought blockchain could possibly be a solution for this.”

The group began working on its idea in May 2019. Hurd-Watler did an applied study course over the summer focusing on the value of blockchain in reducing vulnerabilities in Alberta’s current election system. By summer 2020, with support of the U of L’s Agility program, they were ready to test the concept at the 150Startups’ Innovation Rodeo student pitch competition. It won both the regional and final championships — as well as $10,000 and the opportunity for Hurd-Watler to go to Draper ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Silicon Valley in June 2021 for a five-week entrepreneurial accelerator program.

“Agility was really helpful in that they had a framework built on how to test your idea before putting a bunch of money into it,” says Hurd-Watler. “Their advice and guidance over the past year has been really important in helping us move this along.”

Brandy Old (BA/BEd '17) is the business advisor for Veras and the Agility program director. She says the blockchain approach used by Veras was a great starting point for the rising company.

“When I first started working with Peter, he had a bold idea that seemed impossible,” says Old. “His idea to introduce blockchain to solve an age-old problem illustrates how technology can unlock new and innovative solutions.”

Hurd-Watler studied at the U of L’s Lethbridge campus but moved back to Calgary due to classes being moved online. Veras is now working on developing the front-end, back-end, and blockchain of their Blockchain Smart Voting System with the help of their newest team member, Software Engineer Ismail Lawal.

The Veras platform answers the question: if we can do our banking securely through our smartphones, why can’t we vote using the same technology? If adopted, it potentially blows open the political process, creating easier access to voting for marginalized populations such as the disabled community that might have difficulty accessing polling stations, or First Nations and rural citizens who face long commutes to cast a ballot. In addition, military personnel stationed overseas could vote remotely using Veras.

“Some of the people we interviewed from marginalized communities were having trouble getting their voice heard,” he says. “This is all about connecting the people to the government and the government to the people. It’s beyond just voting.”

The Veras group also interviewed elected officials and discovered they too struggled to find a way to engage with constituents.

“Social media is bombarded with fake accounts and trolls and it’s hard for them to differentiate between real and fake voices,” says Hurd-Watler. “With Veras, your identity is linked to your account, so you know it’s a real person you are interacting with. Representatives can talk to their constituents and know it’s a legitimate interaction.”

Hurd-Watler is part of a youth demographic, aged 18-24, that realized just a seven per cent voter turnout in the last Alberta election. Through Veras, he hopes to see that change.

“We see Veras as a path to increasing voter turnout and accessibility,” he says. “We think this can be a consolidated hub for political voicing for both voters and elected officials that will really shape how future generations interact with their government.”

To learn more about Veras, go to Veras.ca.

Agility’s Innovation Zone helps solve issue in Science Commons

caroline.zentner — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 16:46:56 +0000

Nick Gabbin, a project manager with ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Facilities, encountered a vexing problem while putting the finishing touches on the Science Commons, specifically in the vivarium, which houses live animals.

The vivarium follows strict decontamination protocols to ensure the space remains clean. The problem arose when viewers or peepholes were installed in the doors. The door viewers have a movable eyepiece that can be rotated to allow the viewer to see different parts of the room.

“Installing the viewers exposed the foam insulation inside the door,” says Gabbin. “We had to get them sealed because the foam would be a collection point for contaminants and would impede sanitation processes required by regulatory organizations.”

He considered using PVC piping or conduit to create a sleeve that would seal off the foam, but neither proved viable. When the manufacturer of the door viewer had no fix either, Gabbin went to the Agility Innovation Zone to devise his own remedy.

With help from Innovation Zone staff, Gabbin learned to use a drafting program, designed a sleeve and then 3D printed them to create a workable solution.

“I came up with five prototypes before I had one that fit perfectly,” says Gabbin. “Then it was a matter of 3D printing more than 60 of them and getting them installed.

“This was the first product to be prototyped, manufactured and used as a real-world product by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Facilities. We used ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ resources to solve an issue and saved time and money in the process.”

When installed, the plastic sleeve covers the foam insulation, thus keeping it from being exposed to any possible contaminants.

Agility is a donor-funded program that helps students, faculty and community members realize projects. The Innovation Zone in Science Commons provides free access to equipment like 3D printers and technologies like virtual reality. Donors include Dr. Cor Van Raay (LLD ’15), who believes innovation and entrepreneurship are necessary for the new generation and Bruce McKillop, who provides funding for students and community members to explore their ideas with Agility. Support also comes from the Regional Innovation Network of Southern Alberta (RINSA), a collaborative partnership that helps businesses bring new products or processes to market.

“The Agility Innovation Zone is a space that is open to everyone in the U of L community, no matter what the project entails,” says Brandy Old, Agility manager. “The Innovation Zone is a place where ideas can come to life. Supporting our community in developing local solutions, like the peephole project, means we can foster innovative thinking. We encourage anyone with an idea or a stuck problem to come to the Zone and talk to our staff.”

New media students team up with City of Lethbridge on Oki initiative

trevor.kenney — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 21:16:42 +0000

Given the chance to contribute to City of Lethbridge Reconciliation Week efforts, three ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge new media students, working through the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Agility Program, ran with the opportunity.

The Agility space has four 3-D printers for students to access.

Using 3D printers, the group designed desktop gifts depicting the traditional Blackfoot greeting, Oki, as a small stand-up sign. The gifts were then presented to dignitaries coming to the city for Reconciliation Week activities, as well as the mayors who attended the Mid-Sized Cities Mayors’ Caucus meeting.

“On Monday, Oki became the official greeting of the City of Lethbridge and we were looking for a way of providing a gift to some dignitaries coming to town that reflected Blackfoot culture and language,” says Indigenous Relations Advisor, Perry Stein. “As 2019 is the International Year of Indigenous Languages, we’re trying to celebrate that theme as part of Reconciliation Week and also trying to find those opportunities to make the conversation live beyond this week or even this year.”

Stein looked to the U of L’s Department of New Media, who in turn contacted the Agility Program. He met with new media assistant professor Christine Clark’s students (Jared Gyorffy, Connor Kingston and Sara Séfel) on a Friday afternoon and gave them the background they’d need for the project. By Monday morning, the designs were finalized and the pieces were being printed. By Thursday last week, the mayors were receiving their gifts.

The final product that was handed out to visiting dignitaries.

“Perry came and talked to the students about the reconciliation logo, the context of the oki sign and they were able to embody their own design effects into the process,” says Agility Manager Brandy Old. “It was neat to watch them listen to Perry and the city’s reconciliation plan because these were three students, one from Hungary, who don’t necessarily have much connection with the Blackfoot story. For them to understand the point of the project, what the reconciliation logo means and to walk through the federal government’s Truth & Reconciliation Commission was inspiring.”

For Stein, the project was an opportunity to use a community partner to foster relationship building.

“After city council officially adopted the Oki greeting, I think it sparked a curiosity we’d hoped it would and now people are trying to learn more and this was a unique way to keep that learning going,” he says. “Curiosity is a gateway to empathy, understanding, connection and community building. So, the more we can provide these really welcoming approachable opportunities to make connections, the better off we’ll be.”

The students, meanwhile, engaged in a practical exercise that led to a tangible result.

“From the Agility perspective, it is about connecting the student experience in the classroom and moving it beyond to actually having an impact,” says Old. “The students were able to bridge their technical skills to a meaningful project. This project is one example of how U of L students can apply their education to the real world. As advocates for reconciliation, these types of learning experiences connect our students to Indigenous perspectives and knowledge in a meaningful way.”

Agility program expands creative offerings for students

caroline.zentner — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 21:10:24 +0000

Since its inception in 2015, Agility has been living up to its name by expanding the ways it supports students who want to explore an innovative idea or develop their own business.

Agility, which got its start thanks to a donation from Dr. Cor Van Raay (LLD ’15), is totally funded by donors and designed to create multi-disciplinary experiential learning opportunities in innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as agriculture and agribusiness, social innovation and emerging technologies.

“There are huge opportunities in agriculture and agribusiness in southern Alberta for students,” says Dave Hinger, academic director of the Teaching Centre, which houses Agility. “We try to get students involved in some of those activities and help them understand the opportunities available to them in these fields.”

In addition to the Cor Van Raay Innovation Fund and the Cor Van Raay Agility Award in Agriculture, Agility is developing an agriculture entrepreneurs-in-residence program where ag experts spend a week on campus hosting seminars, visiting classrooms and making themselves available to students, staff and faculty to talk about their studies, research and career options.

Agility recently received a grant for nearly $15,000 from Alberta Innovates Institutional Support of Entrepreneurship Education (ISEE) and used it to create the Applied Innovation program.

“Applied Innovation is an online blended-learning model where students go through different modules to pursue their idea, whether it’s a social innovation idea for a fundraiser, community project or their own entrepreneurial idea,” says Brandy Old, program coordinator with Agility.

The program, with help from Old, takes students through the steps of organizing and validating their ideas. Ultimately, students create a vision, a mantra and document their plan. Participants are eligible for micro-credentials, certificates of participation, or course credit, if the program is completed through an applied study model.

Students with an entrepreneurial bent can apply for scholarships through the Bruce McKillop Agility Leaders of Tomorrow and the RBC Agility awards. Students can learn about opportunities in family and small business through the annual RBC Family & Small Business Summit.

Agility’s focus on social innovation aligns with the new School of Liberal Education and the theme of social justice. The Food for Thought fund, started with generous support from Dr. Jennifer Mather, tackles food security for students. Individuals or groups can apply for support for programs that address a specific need on campus, provide education about healthy food choices and preparation, and increase accessibility to healthy food.

A group of students works on a problem using a white board in one of the creative spaces on campus.

“We know from research that a lot of our students struggle with food insecurity,” says Hinger. “The ability to afford healthy food is not an issue unique to Lethbridge; it’s an issue across a lot of post-secondary institutions. We’re trying to get students working on how to solve this.”

Agility has also received a $10,000 grant from TD Friends of the Environment Fund to support incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing and Indigenous practices into the Campus Ecology Project. Mather donated funds to establish the project as a way of celebrating the U of L’s 50th birthday in 2017. Its goal is to create a more ecologically friendly campus. As part of an independent or applied study, students work on various aspects of the project, including wildlife, plants and habitats found on campus and what might be done to better the environment.

“The funding is meant to support student assistants coming in and assuming more of a leadership role in the programming, as well as physical resources for planting,” says Old.

Another new addition, in collaboration with Co-operative Education, is the entrepreneurial co-op. The first students to pursue such a co-op, Bariyaa Ipaa and Cecilia Reid, have worked with Old on developing their business – Art with Purpose.

“We are here to support students who have ideas about being an entrepreneur and also to help students see entrepreneurship as a viable career option,” says Hinger. “We focus on the skills students need to be entrepreneurs, which are valuable whether they create a business or not. We leverage our community partners like tecconnect, Economic Development Lethbridge, Community Futures and the ATB Entrepreneur Centre. We know that employers are looking for students who have those skills.

“The fourth area we focus on is emerging technologies, which give students a place to play and explore and see how these technologies can be used,” says Hinger. “With some of the programming changes we’ve seen on campus, there may be an opportunity for us to support students using new technologies like 3D printers and robotics.”

The Fine Arts Data Physicalization Lab allows students, typically graduate and senior students, to work with research data sets in unique ways. The lab is equipped with 3D printers, a robotic arm for video capture and a vinyl cutter. The Idea Shop in Markin Hall provides a low-tech space for students to work on their ideas. On top of this, an Innovation Zone will occupy a space in the new Science and Academic Building and Hinger is calling on faculty members for their input.

“We’re going to have this state-of-the-art space where students can come to explore, be creative, solve problems and innovate. It will be a very flexible space; we want to be able to host events like a pitch competition or a student exhibition,” says Hinger. “One of the reasons we’ve been successful is because of faculty working with us. We can’t do it without faculty involvement.”

UNews - Brandy Old

New funding to offer cash for coursework while benefitting businesses

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